title
stringlengths 13
112
| published_date
stringlengths 10
10
| authors
stringclasses 3
values | description
stringlengths 0
382
⌀ | section
stringlengths 2
31
⌀ | content
stringlengths 0
81.9k
| link
stringlengths 21
189
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The people with arthritis struggling to work - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How do people juggle staying in work with a painful and debilitating condition like arthritis?
|
Business
|
Christine Lewis took medical retirement at 48 but felt she had more to give
Some 600,000 people with arthritis are missing out on the opportunity to work, according to the charity Arthritis Research UK. BBC presenter Julian Worricker, who has psoriatic arthritis, spoke to people trying to juggle staying in work with a painful and debilitating condition.
Britain is a nation of "put up and shut up" when it comes to workplace health.
That's according to leading charity Arthritis Research UK. This isn't just based on anecdotal evidence - before Christmas the charity questioned more than 2,000 people about their attitudes and experience regarding health and the workplace.
One theme arose time and time again - people's willingness to suffer in silence.
I have arthritis. Not rheumatoid, but another inflammatory form of the disease - psoriatic arthritis. It's linked to the common skin complaint, psoriasis.
I'm lucky in that I've rarely had serious flare-ups. I'm now taking a drug that dramatically improves my symptoms, and at work I can think of only a handful of occasions when I've been hampered, discomforted or forced to make adjustments for any nagging pain I may have been experiencing.
But for thousands of other people in the UK it's a very different story.
Osteoarthritis - which makes movement more difficult - is the most common form of arthritis
Sarah Dillingham is a case in point. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her 20s when she was working in a high-pressure corporate environment.
Some people at work didn't understand the severity of Sarah's health issues, she says
During bad flare-ups she had to cope with extreme fatigue and intense pain. Everyday tasks, even holding a pen, were difficult.
Commuting, or as Sarah put it "being bashed about on the tube", really took it out of her.
Over 10 years she struggled to control her symptoms.
"My world became all about my job because in order to go in and deliver I could only do that if I got up early to deal with the pain. I didn't have any social life. Your world does shrink in quite an unhealthy way," she says.
She experienced the best and the worst from the people she worked alongside.
She tells me: "A fantastic colleague used to help by writing on the white board for me during presentations when I couldn't lift my arms up."
But one boss made it very clear that Sarah's health issues were not something to be considered important, forcing her to try and act as if there was no problem at all.
"Being bashed about on the tube" on her daily commute was one of the things that made working difficult, says Sarah Dillingham
Christine Lewis's story taps into some of the same narrative.
She was a nurse when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, but daily work tasks became too much for her and she switched her career to banking.
Initially her new employers were very receptive to her needs, but as time went on they became less supportive.
"They employed someone to come and assess me. She assessed my working environment and made various recommendations."
They suggested minor changes to her desk and workstation, Christine told me.
"They said that things don't happen very quickly in business. A year later, still nothing," she says.
Sarah's and Christine's stories diverge at this point. Sarah is now her own boss, works mainly from home, and can manage her travel so that it rarely coincides with the London rush hour.
Christine Lewis, pictured here with Julian, says employers are missing out on a "wealth of experience." She now volunteers for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
As an employer, partly as a result of what she went through as an employee, she's a believer in what she calls "sensible flexibility".
She says: "I absolutely understand the importance of hiring people who will give 100%.
"At the same time pretty much everyone has something in their life, whether that's a long-term medical condition, or young children or having to care for someone.
"It can be as simple as being able to hold meetings over Skype, or an ergonomic mouse which is very cheap."
Christine, by contrast, took medical retirement at the age of 48.
She feels she still had a number of good working years ahead of her but, without the necessary adjustments being made in the office to help her manage, she felt she had no choice but to give up her job.
"Employers are missing out on the wealth of experience that people have," she says.
"Being that bit older, I've got a house. I've had children, I've been a housewife and all that actually is quite a lot of experience that employers should tap into."
The Department for Work and Pensions told us that funding is available through the government's Access to Work scheme to pay for equipment or support that a disabled person might need in the workplace.
Stories like those of Sarah and Christine might well influence the government's thinking in the coming months.
It says it wants to halve what's known as the disability gap - that's the difference between employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - and it's been consulting on how best to do that.
The Labour MP, Frank Field, chairs the parliamentary work and pensions committee. A lot of evidence about work and disability has come before him in recent months.
"Nobody doubts the will of the government wishing to do this. What's worrying is whether they've really thought about how hard this objective is to achieve," he says.
One suggestion is to encourage employers using incentives. "One should have, in this coming Budget, a reduction in national insurance contributions to those employers who say I'm taking [disabled] people onto my payroll," he says.
During our conversation Mr Field highlighted one statistic that put into perspective what the government wants to do: according to the Learning and Work Institute, halving that disability gap will take - at current rates - 200 years.
Julian Worricker presents a mini-series about arthritis on You & Yours, from Wednesday 22 February to Friday 24 February at 12.15GMT on BBC Radio 4.
• None 'How I got arthritis to loosen its grip'
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39043187
|
Women's Six Nations: Scotland bring in Jemma Forsyth v Wales - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Jemma Forsyth replaces the injured Karen Dunbar in Scotland's only change for their Women's Six Nations match against Wales.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Scottish Rugby
Coverage: Live on Scottish Rugby TV. Highlights on BBC Two on Sunday, 26 Feb. Report on BBC Sport website
Scotland have made one change to their side for the third match of their Women's Six Nations campaign against Wales on Friday at Cumbernauld.
Flanker Jemma Forsyth is promoted from the bench to start at blind-side in place of the injured Karen Dunbar.
Dunbar has been ruled out of the remainder of the Six Nations after suffering a knee injury against France.
Worcester back-row Lyndsay O'Donnell is called up to the replacements, with the rest of the 23 unchanged.
Scotland, seeking a first Six Nations win since 2010, suffered an agonising last-gasp 22-15 home defeat by Ireland in their opening game being being thrashed 55-0 in France.
Wales, meanwhile, won 20-8 in Italy but crashed 63-0 at home to England the following week.
"We had a strong performance against Ireland in our opening match and a lot of good things were achieved, from which the players can take great pride from," said Scotland head coach Shade Munro.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to build on those positives against a very physical French team.
"The players are a tight-knit group and are determined to keep improving together. As a squad we remain focused and determined on making progress in this campaign and competing hard against all opposition.
"Wales pose a different challenge but one we are familiar with, having played them last October in a friendly as part of our increased training and game schedule.
"Home advantage will be key and I know the noise from the crowd during the Ireland game really lifted the players, so it would be great to see more supporters in the stands at Broadwood Stadium this Friday."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39053316
|
Plea for Irish army to fight 'aggressive' rhododendrons - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
'Aggressive' plants are taking over a national park, says an Irish politician as he calls for action.
|
Europe
|
Rhododendrons are a non-native shrub that can grow taller than 25ft (8m) if not controlled
The Irish army should be called in to do battle with rhododendrons because the plants are "taking over" a national park, the government has been told.
The invasion of the "aggressive" plant was raised in the Dáil (Irish parliament) by the colourful County Kerry politician, Michael Healy-Rae.
He claimed "we are losing the war" against overgrown rhododendrons in Killarney National Park.
He also said the park's deer population had "exploded" in recent years.
The Kerryman claimed the park was being neglected by the authorities and pleaded with Regional Economic Development Minister Michael Ring to allocate more resources to its maintenance.
"The rhododendron situation in Killarney National Park has become so bad that nothing short of calling in the army is going to put it right," said Mr Healy-Rae.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Healy-Rae said 'nothing short of the army' would solve the problem
Rhododendrons are a non-native shrub that can grow taller than 25ft (8m) if they are not controlled.
Mr Healy-Rae requested a Dáil debate on the issue, in which he warned the plants were "taking over completely, despite programmes of work over the years to cut them".
The minister admitted that the management of the "aggressive rhododendron is a long-standing, ongoing programme in the national park".
However, Mr Ring rejected the suggestion that the government had neglected the public facility or its flowery foreign foes.
"My department has invested heavily in tackling this invasive species, the control of which is difficult, costly and labour-intensive," he said.
Mr Ring added that more than 700,000 euros (£590,000) had been spent on rhododendron clearance in Killarney National Park over the past six years.
He said this work had made "significant inroads into the problem".
The minister added that his department was working on an "updated strategic rhododendron management plan" and had appointed a "specialist" to assist with the shrub situation.
Wild rhododendrons decorate Torc waterfall in Killarney National Park, but the plants are difficult to manage
In respect of the exploding deer, Mr Healy-Rae referred to a 2008 study which he said was the most up to date he could find.
This research, he said, showed red deer numbers had "increased by 565%" over a 30-year period while and the sika deer population had risen by 353%.
Mr Ring said staff from his department are "currently undertaking a cull of deer" in the national park.
The cull, which is due to end next month, followed a "comprehensive survey" on the park's deer population carried out at the end of last year.
Mr Healy-Rae is not the first person to issue warnings over the Republic of Ireland's rhododendron invasion.
In 2014, a couple in their 50s had to be rescued after they became trapped in a "treacherous" rhododendron forest.
It took search teams five hours to reach the couple in the Knockmealdowns Mountains, on the border between County Waterford and County Tipperary.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39050369
|
What is a weather bomb? - BBC Weather
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Heard the term but not sure what it means? Chris Fawkes explains.
| null |
Heard the term but not sure what it means? Chris Fawkes explains.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/39054678
|
Champions League: Man City must score at Monaco or go out, says Pep Guardiola - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Man City "will be eliminated" if they do not score at Monaco in their Champions League last-16 second leg, says manager Pep Guardiola.
| null |
Manchester City "will be eliminated" if they do not score in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Monaco, says manager Pep Guardiola.
City, who came from behind twice to beat the French league leaders 5-3 in a pulsating first leg at the Etihad Stadium, play the return on 15 March.
"We are going to fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible," Guardiola said afterwards.
"That is my target. It is impossible to progress if we don't score a goal."
Monaco led 2-1 and 3-2 before City fought back to clinch a thrilling victory in the highest-scoring first leg of a knock-out tie in the 25-year-history of the Champions League.
Guardiola is expecting another wide open game when the teams meet again, and feels that is the best way to combat Monaco's own attack-minded tactics that have seen them score 76 goals in 26 Ligue 1 games this season.
"They play in that way too - they will attack more and more," he explained. "We will have to defend better but we will have our chances, I am pretty sure of that.
"Am I happy with my team playing so open? Yes. A lot.
"I would like to see how many teams are able to make a clean sheet against Monaco this season. They attack with so many good players, who make runs in behind, that it is difficult to control the game.
"But we created a lot of chances too and I don't know if Monaco have played a team who created as many chances as we did against them.
"We arrived in their box so many times which is why I want to play in that way again."
Semi-finals (2-2 agg with Atletico. Atletico through on away goals)
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim had no regrets about his side's approach and said he had "congratulated his players" despite their defeat.
"We still have 90 minutes to go and we will be playing at home so the tie is far from over," Jardim said. "And I think everyone who watched this game was happy to be able to witness such a spectacle.
"It was a great game for supporters. Two great teams, very good in attack, and eight goals scored.
"I think my players played a great game. We made a couple of errors in defence which we were punished for but I think the real key to this game was when we could have gone 3-1 up [with a penalty] but the score came back to 2-2."
Guardiola felt Willy Caballero's save from Radamel Falcao's second-half spot-kick was vital and praised the way his side dug in to turn the game around.
"At 1-3, mentally it would have been so tough for us, but Willy made an excellent penalty save," Guardiola added.
"The lesson we got from the game was that we did not give up. There were moments we were lucky, especially in the second half, and when we were so unlucky - especially in the first half.
"But we did not give up, which is why we are still alive in the tie."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39047872
|
Pie-eating Sutton keeper Wayne Shaw resigns - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Sutton United have accepted the resignation of reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw, who is under investigation for potentially breaching betting rules.
| null |
Sutton United have accepted the resignation of reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw, who is under investigation for potentially breaching betting rules.
A bookmaker had offered odds of 8-1 that Shaw would eat a pie on camera. Shaw, who said he was aware of the betting promotion prior to the match, played the incident down as "a bit of fun".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39046583
|
Former US law chief leads Uber probe - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Uber has hired Barack Obama's attorney general Eric Holder to lead an investigation into claims of sexual harassment at the firm.
|
Technology
|
Uber said it would publish diversity figures in the 'coming months'
On Monday Uber boss Travis Kalanick sent an email to his employees with more information about the probe - and further plans the company has to address the issue.
“It’s been a tough 24 hours,” he began, adding that the company was “hurting”.
The investigation will be lead by former US attorney general Eric Holder, who served under President Obama between 2009 and 2015, and Tammy Albarran - both partners at law firm Covington and Burling.
Arianna Huffington, best known for being the founder of the Huffington Post, will also help carry out the review. Ms Huffington has been on Uber’s board since April last year. Also conducting the review will be Uber’s new head of human resources, Liane Hornsey, and Angela Padilla, Uber’s associate general counsel.
After coming into widespread criticism for never having published statistics on diversity at the company, Mr Kalanick said he would deliver figures in the "coming months". He said that of the employees working as engineers, product managers or data scientists, 15.1% are women - a number which he said hadn’t changed significantly in the past year.
“As points of reference,” he wrote, “Facebook is at 17%, Google at 18% and Twitter at 10%.”
Until now, Uber had been standing firm on not publishing its diversity figures. Most major technology companies make public their EEO-1 - a government filing that breaks down employees by race, religion, gender and other factors.
Uber has not specified if it will publish its entire EEO-1, or just post select figures from the company.
In her blog post, Susan Fowler cited anecdotal figures of women leaving Uber in droves.
Speaking specifically about the site reliability engineering team, which she worked on for a year, she said that by the time she left, “out of over 150 engineers in the SRE teams, only 3% were women”. She now works at San Francisco-based payment firm Stripe.
Uber said it would be holding an “all hands" meeting on Tuesday to tell its employees what its “next steps” will be.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook.
If you are an Uber employee, you can reach Dave directly and anonymously on encrypted messaging app Signal using +1 (628) 400-7370.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39035512
|
Italian village torn apart by slow-moving landslide - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The village of Ponzano in the Abruzzo region of Italy is being torn apart by a landslide, following earthquakes in 2016.
| null |
Thirty-three homes have been evacuated and nearly 100 people left homeless by a landslide which is tearing apart the village of Ponzano in Italy.
Officials say a hill has been cut in two, and the landslide is moving at a rate of a metre a day.
The village is in the Abruzzo region, which was hit by a string of earthquakes in 2016.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39060062
|
Brit Awards: Skepta and Bowie expected to win prizes - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The countdown to the Brit Awards has begun. Who's performing, and who's going to win?
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Skepta and Bowie are both listed in the best British album category
Skepta and David Bowie are among the stars expected to win at the Brit Awards on Wednesday night.
The grime star and the late rock icon are up for best British male. Other nominees at "music's biggest night" include Beyonce, The 1975 and Bastille.
Performances will come from Ed Sheeran and Little Mix, as well as US stars Katy Perry and Bruno Mars.
There will also be a tribute to pop star George Michael, who died on Christmas Day.
The show kicks off at 19:30 on ITV and you can follow the red carpet action on BBC Music News Live from 15:00 GMT.
Dermot O'Leary and Emma Willis have been drafted in to present the ceremony at London's O2 Arena, after original host Michael Buble pulled out to care for his young son, who is receiving treatment for cancer.
Willis, a mum-of-three who presents The Voice UK and Big Brother, said she hoped she could "do him proud".
"Every part of me sends so much love and all the best wishes in the world to Michael and his family at such a difficult time," she said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Best single nominee Zara Larsson on why she loves the Brit Awards
The star will introduce performances from the following acts:
This year's ceremony is notable for its recognition of grime, which re-emerged from the underground last year, asserting its position as the UK's biggest musical movement since Britpop.
Skepta, who won the 2016 Mercury Prize for his self-released album Konnichiwa, is favourite to win best breakthrough artist; while fellow grime MCs Stormzy and Kano are also up for awards.
Bowie - who died in January last year - is likely to prevail in the best British male category, as the music industry takes its chance to honour one of rock's most recognisable and influential figures.
His haunting swansong, Blackstar, is also up for best British album.
Little Mix have three nominations
Pop group Little Mix tie with Skepta for the most-nominated act of the night - each has three.
The girl band look like they will be locked out of their categories, best group (likely to go to The 1975), best video (One Direction) and best single (Clean Bandit, for Rockabye).
But they have solid support from Stormzy, who's rooting for Jade, Perry, Leigh-Anne and Jesy to take home a trophy.
"They have smashed it," the grime star told BBC Newsbeat. "Their new song, Touch, is a banger. I can't even lie."
Meanwhile, Beyonce and her younger sister Solange Knowles are both up for best international female, after releasing albums about race and politics last year.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39044509
|
FA Cup: Chelsea v Man Utd and Tottenham v Millwall live on BBC One - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The FA Cup quarter-finals between Chelsea and Manchester United and Tottenham and Millwall will be broadcast live on BBC One.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
The FA Cup quarter-finals between Chelsea and Manchester United and Tottenham and Millwall will be broadcast live on BBC One.
Premier League leaders Chelsea will host Jose Mourinho's United on Monday, 13 March with kick-off at 19:45 GMT.
Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham welcome League One Millwall on Sunday, 12 March at 14:00 GMT.
BT Sport will broadcast non-league Lincoln's trip to Arsenal on Saturday, 11 March (17:30 GMT).
The game between Middlesbrough and the winner of the fifth-round replay between Manchester City and Huddersfield will also be live on BT Sport on Saturday, 11 March at 12:15 GMT.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39056920
|
Katy Perry talks to BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Ahead of her Brits show, Katy fills in Nick Grimshaw on the power of performing as a thirty-something, and what it's like seeing her peers in the audience.
| null |
Ahead of her Brits show, Katy fills in Nick Grimshaw on the power of performing as a thirty-something, and what it's like seeing her peers in the audience.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39056557
|
US children's hospital helps save life of baby hippo - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Doctors from a children's hospital have saved the life of a premature baby hippo.
| null |
Doctors from a children's hospital have stepped in to help save the life of a baby hippo which was born prematurely at Cincinnati Zoo.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39050028
|
Helping hand Skegness PCSO 'Just doing my job' - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
PCSO Dave Bunker says he is "surprised" at the reaction to something he considers "nothing special".
|
Lincolnshire
|
A photo of PCSO Dave Bunker helping an elderly woman has been shared hundreds of times online
A PCSO heralded for helping an elderly woman find her way home said he was "proud" with the recognition but he was "just doing my job".
A photo of Dave Bunker, 49, taking the woman by the hand has been shared hundreds of times on social media.
Insp Colin Haigh, of Lincolnshire Police, posted the photo and a caption: "Community policing at its best."
Mr Bunker said: "I was really surprised at the reaction. I've done nothing special, it's what we do."
Mr Bunker has been a PCSO with Lincolnshire Police for more than 10 years
He said he had gone to the woman's aid after spotting her on Roman Bank, Skegness, on Monday.
"She told me she was on her way to the bus station but she must have been three-quarters of a mile away.
"I thought I would give her an hand. I offered her my arm but she chose to take me by the hand.
"We started walking but it became obvious it was too far to walk so I called a colleague who came and picked her up."
His actions have been praised online, with one Twitter user calling it "British policing at its best", while another said: "This is why we love our boys and girls in blue".
Mr Bunker, who has been a PCSO with Lincolnshire Police for more than 10 years, said: "Incidents like this happen on a regular basis. It's not just me it's other PCSOs and PCs too. We are doing things like this daily.
"Somebody on Twitter said I needed a reward but I said the smile on the woman's face was all the reward I needed."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-39050169
|
UK braces for Storm Doris - BBC Weather
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Doris threatens snow for some, heavy rain for others and high winds for all across the UK
| null |
Thursday's early rush hour will be very disrupted as snow in parts of Scotland, rain in Northern Ireland and strong winds everywhere make travel very tricky. Chris Fawkes forecasts the impacts of Doris.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/39053968
|
Reality Check: Are business rates figures misleading? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Aggregate figures exclude inflation and an adjustment for successful appeals.
|
UK Politics
|
The claim: The government's figures on business rates are misleading because they exclude inflation and an appeals adjustment.
Reality Check verdict: The figures do exclude both those things, but government publications specify that they do. The government's figures are for the situation after any appeals have been completed, so they depend on how accurately it has predicted their outcome.
The government has produced tables showing how much business rates would rise or fall in the coming year, broken down by region of the country and type of business.
The overall effect of all the changes comes to zero, which means that the policy is revenue neutral.
But there is a key caveat at the bottom of the table, which is that the figures are: "Before inflation and the adjustment to the multiplier for future appeal outcomes."
The inflation part is widely known. The measure of inflation used will become CPI (Consumer Price Index) instead of RPI (Retail Price Index), which will usually mean the increase is smaller, but that change will not happen until 2020. Increasing rates for RPI will add about 2% per year.
But the other part is a bit more complicated - it is the adjustment required to make sure that the changes in rates are revenue neutral even after some businesses have appealed against the rated value of their premises and won.
Analysis from the property consultants Gerald Eve suggested that the adjustment would be between four and five percentage points. They did that by working out how much business rates would change across the country to find out what adjustment would then be needed to make the policy revenue neutral again.
They add that including both the inflation and the appeals adjustment means that business rates will fall in 135 of the 326 local authorities in England, not 259 as the government claimed.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has strongly disputed suggestions that it has misled people with its figures, but has not disputed the suggestion that the appeals adjustment is between four and five percentage points.
Speaking on the Today Programme, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said he thought the figures provided, "might not be giving the picture that businesses in the real world are going to get when they get their bills".
This is certainly true. The DCLG has been clear that its figures are before inflation and the appeals adjustment.
The government's figures are for the situation after any appeals have been completed, so they depend on how accurately it has predicted their outcome.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39041300
|
The riddle of Europe's election season - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Might voters in three key countries hold the future of the European project in their hands?
|
Europe
|
Many Europeans eye the months ahead with foreboding. They see anti-establishment parties on the ascendancy. Angela Merkel - for so long Frau Europe - may lose power. And the financial markets are skittish over the possibility of a Marine Le Pen victory in France. Every edge up in her poll ratings sends bond yields rising.
And yet an entirely different scenario may play out. It is quite possible that before the end of the year observers will declare that the Brexit-Trump tide has turned and that European integration has found new champions.
First to the politics: in the Netherlands Geert Wilders has a history of under-performing at the polls. Even if he emerges as the leader of the largest party after the elections in March, he will struggle to get a foothold in government.
The contest that preoccupies Europe's political class, however, is France. The conventional wisdom is that Marine Le Pen will win the first round in the presidential elections but be substantially defeated in round two. But France is on edge, gloomy and unsure of itself.
She has expanded her lead in the polls and closed the gap on her most likely challenger in the second round, Emmanuel Macron. Still, he retains a 16% poll lead.
Marine Le Pen supporters: Many believe she will win the first round of the election
But observers no longer trust the polls, and they fear the unforeseen event that could turn even more voters against governing elites.
Yet if Marine Le Pen loses, as seems most likely, Europe could be facing an entirely different future. Currently the candidate most likely to win in France is Mr Macron. Yes, he's a novice: a man who has never been elected to high office. He has been drawing the crowds because he has sold himself as a new politician, neither left nor right.
As the campaign gets under way, Marine Le Pen will be scathing, dismissing Mr Macron as an international banker, the epitome of the failed global elite, and the man who was Economy Minister under Francois Hollande.
Mr Macron has yet to define himself, and he may yet stumble. But if he made it to the Elysee Palace, Europe and France would have a pro-European president, committed to the survival of the euro and the alliance with Germany.
Emmanuel Macron has faced accusations that he is part of a governing elite
At the same time, Germany has grown more restless and more open to change. Some see Angela Merkel, who is hoping for a fourth term as chancellor, as weary and burnt-out. Some of her zeal for power has gone. And many Germans will forever blame her for allowing more than a million refugees into the country.
Her main political opponent, the Social Democratic Party, has a new standard bearer in Martin Schulz. In the past month, the SPD has surged 12 points, even surpassing Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.
Mr Schulz is a former President of the European Parliament. For a long time in German politics, he has been known as "Mr Europe". He has a good back-story: he's a former bookseller without a high school degree. He is a straight-talker, passionate about Europe and further integration.
Angela Merkel is standing for a fourth term as Chancellor of Germany
His greatest strength is his unbridled passion to succeed, his weakness is a love of power and some of its trappings, which he demonstrated in Brussels. He also may stumble, having not yet declared his policy on refugees. And never underestimate the appeal of Angela Merkel and her safe pair of hands.
But the crowds are turning out for Mr Schulz, much as they have done for Mr Macron in France. If both men were to win, the outlook in Europe would change suddenly and dramatically.
Both are European integrationists who would look to deepen and strengthen the European project. Together, they would breathe new life into the Franco-German relationship that has always been the engine room of the EU.
Martin Schulz is a former President of the European Parliament
Both, politicians from the centre-left, would loosen austerity further and favour spending on infrastructure projects to help countries such as Italy escape stagnation.
There would be little generosity from either man towards Britain as it starts to negotiate its exit from the European Union.
Mr Macron has said that it will be "pretty tough" on the UK and Mr Schulz would want to see the UK pays a price for its departure.
As this European election season begins, no-one yet knows what the Trump effect will be on Europe.
Will US President Donald Trump's victory encourage voters that they can support anti-immigration candidates who want powers returned to the nation states and, in the case of France, have a vote on membership of the European Union?
Or will President Trump deter voters from taking further risks?
Will voters turn away from the United States - whose president has openly discussed which country would leave the EU next - and incline towards building a Europe more confident in its own values and security?
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has said Europe wants the US's "wholehearted and unequivocal support for the idea of a united Europe".
It may not be forthcoming, and the insecurity may yet prompt some voters to back deeper European integration rather the outsiders, the insurgents, the challengers.
For Europe, the script for 2017 is a long way from being written and the outcome may yet surprise.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39032192
|
The Premier League Show: Juan Mata fancies role as presenter - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Manchester United's Juan Mata tells Gary Lineker he would love to take over as the presenter of Match of the Day when he retires from playing football.
| null |
Manchester United's Juan Mata tells Gary Lineker he would love to take over as the presenter of Match of the Day when he retires from playing football.
Watch the full interview with Juan Mata on The Premier League Show, Thursday, 23 February, 22:00 GMT on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website & app.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39056364
|
Footage released of Harrison Ford's plane near-miss - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
An airport in California has released video of a plane, being flown by the actor Harrison Ford, mistakenly flying low over an airliner.
| null |
An airport in California has released video of a plane, being flown by the actor Harrison Ford, mistakenly flying low over an airliner.
Ford's single-engine plane landed on a taxiway instead of a runway at John Wayne airport in Orange County earlier this month.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39048670
|
View from a plane of giant Antarctic ice crack - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
New video is released of an Antarctic ice crack that may produce a giant iceberg.
| null |
The British Antarctic Survey has released new footage of the ice crack that promises to produce a giant iceberg.
The 175km-long fissure runs through the Larsen C Ice Shelf on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39056226
|
Couples speak of pain over spouse visa rules - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Three couples speak of their struggle to stay in the UK with their partners because of visa rules.
|
UK
|
Immigration rules that require a Briton to be earning a minimum amount before they can bring a non-EU spouse to the UK have been upheld in the Supreme Court. How does this policy affect families?
"My son has seen his father a few times only," says British national Toni Stew.
"I feel like a single mother rather than a wife."
Ms Stew, from Worcester, met her Egyptian husband Mohamed El Faramawi, 33, while on holiday in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2009. They got married six years later.
But, as the 25-year-old does not earn a minimum of £18,600 per year, her husband has been unable to join her and their 17-month-old son Ali in the UK.
"I feel very guilty towards my baby," she says.
"He hasn't done anything to deserve being without his father."
Ms Stew, who works as a part-time sales assistant, says she can't afford to work full-time as she also needs to care for Ali.
They are just one couple out of thousands who are said to be unable to meet the minimum income requirement that came into force in July 2012.
Under the family migration policy, only British citizens, foreign nationals who are deemed to be "present and settled" in the UK, or those with refugee status can apply to sponsor their non-European partner's visa.
And whichever of those three categories they are in, they must also show they have sufficient funding. In most cases, this is proof of an annual salary of £18,600, held for at least six months prior to the application. This level rises to £22,400 for a non-European partner and child, with an additional levy of £2,400 for each additional child. The rule does not apply to EU citizens.
Those who are granted the "family of a settled person" visa cannot usually claim benefits or other public funds.
The Home Office introduced the rules as part of attempts to control immigration from outside Europe, with ministers in the then coalition government arguing that the rules would ensure no incoming families would burden the UK taxpayer.
Mohamed El Faramawi has been unable to join his son Ali in the UK
But the minimum income requirement policy was challenged in the High Court in 2013 and again in the Court of Appeal in 2014 by two British claimants and one claimant who has refugee status who want to bring their non-EU spouses to the UK.
They said the rules were discriminatory and interfered with Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, the right to a private and family life.
The case then went to the Supreme Court, which said that while family immigration rules requiring minimum income cause hardship, they are lawful.
These rules need to be changed as the income threshold is too high, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants says.
The charity's chief executive Saira Grant says it would "greatly help" if the income of the foreign partner was taken into account.
Thousands of people are impacted by the rules, she says.
British national Laura Segan and her American husband Spencer Russ are facing the possibility of separation less than a year after they have got married.
"Just because she happens to fall in love with me and I have the wrong passport, she isn't allowed to live with me in her own country," says Spencer, 28.
His student visa expired in January and he has applied for leave to remain in the UK, but if that is rejected he fears he will have to leave the country.
Laura Segan and Spencer Russ have found their relationship complicated by visa rules
Full-time graduate student Laura would then need to earn a minimum of £18,600 per year for a minimum amount of six months in order to bring her husband back to the UK.
Laura, from Devon, says she cannot work full-time while she is studying. "It doesn't seem right," the 28-year-old says.
"I think it is ridiculous to put a financial requirement on love," adds Spencer, who met his wife when they were both teaching English in Russia.
Andy Russell, from Bath, reluctantly describes himself as "one of the lucky ones".
"Yet I don't feel that," he says.
Molly's only contact with her family for a year was on Skype
The 43-year-old teacher faced a long battle to get his Chinese wife Molly, 36, a partner visa after they decided to move to the UK from China in 2012 with their two sons - then just three and five years old.
Molly had to return to China to apply for the visa while Andy searched for a job that met the income requirement.
She was told she could not enter the UK on a visitor visa because she had expressed her intention to get a partner visa.
A year of separation with Molly able to see her family only via Skype led to her youngest son referring to her as "computer mummy".
"It broke my heart," Andy says.
He says their sons lost the ability to speak Chinese, which affected their bond with their mother as she struggled with English, and led to them "losing some respect for her", although their relationship is "much better now".
"They [the government] have got to deal with migration, but not at the expense of genuine, honest families. It is a scandal," Andy says.
The Children's Commissioner for England says that at least 15,000 children are separated from a parent because of the income rules and are growing up in "Skype families".
Andy Russell with his two sons and wife Molly before she left for China
Some Britons who are unable to meet the sufficient funding requirements have used the "Surinder Singh" route to get their non-EU partners into the country. This involves working in another nation in the European Economic Area (EEA) for about three months.
It means that when they return to the UK, their case is considered under different rules - as they are treated as a citizen of the EEA rather than a British citizen.
But the Home Office must be satisfied that people who have demonstrated they did actually "move" to their new EEA country for the period they lived there and did not just simply take a short-term job there for immigration purposes.
Home Office figures show the number of partner visas granted fell from 46,906 in the year ending June 2006 to 27,345 in the year ending June 2015, when it says 66% of applications were approved.
A Home Office spokesman said those who wish to make a life in the UK were welcomed "but family life must not be established here at the taxpayer's expense".
He said that was "why we established clear rules" based on advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.
All cases are "considered on their individual merits," he said.
• None Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35552289
|
Wayne Rooney: Man Utd captain's agent in China to discuss potential move - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford is in China to see if he can negotiate a deal for the forward to leave Manchester United.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford is in China to see if he can negotiate a deal for the forward to leave Manchester United.
There are no guarantees of success and it is thought a deal remains highly unlikely before the Chinese transfer window closes on 28 February.
But the fact Stretford has travelled to China is a clear indication United boss Jose Mourinho would let Rooney, 31, go.
In a BBC Sport poll, 30% of voters think that Wayne Rooney's next move should be to move to China.
And if he does not leave this month it seems certain he will go in the summer.
Rooney has fallen down the pecking order at United under Mourinho.
The England captain has been made aware of interest in him from the Chinese Super League for some time, although it is not known which clubs Stretford has spoken to.
However, two of the three clubs who looked the most likely options for Rooney have ruled themselves out.
Beijing Guoan, believed to be the favourite team of Chinese President Xi, had been seen as one of the favourites to sign Rooney but sources close to the club have told BBC Sport they are not interested in signing him.
The England captain's representatives have already spoken to Tianjin Quanjian and their coach, Fabio Cannavaro, said talks did not progress, while sources close to Jiangsu Suning also dismissed speculation over a transfer.
On Tuesday, Mourinho said he did not know whether Rooney, who has only just returned to training after a hamstring injury, would still be at Old Trafford in a week's time.
It is not known whether this latest development will affect Rooney's chances of being involved in Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton.
They had appeared to have increased after Henrikh Mkhitaryan limped out of Wednesday's 1-0 Europa League win against Saint-Etienne.
If Rooney follows former team-mate Carlos Tevez to the Chinese Super League, it would almost certainly cost him any chance of making the seven appearances he needs to become England's most capped player.
Rooney's preference is understood to be to remain with United for the rest of his contract, which expires in 2019, but a lack of time on the pitch is forcing him to consider alternatives.
Rooney is United's record goalscorer and has won five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy since joining them as an 18-year-old for £27m from Everton in 2004.
The forward, who has started only three games since 17 December, has said he would not play for an English club other than United or Everton .
The big difference between Chinese Super League clubs' transfer process and their Premier League counterparts is the preparation.
English top-flight clubs have extensive scouting departments with links around the world. They identify players months in advance, watch many live games and base their decision on an extensive process.
In CSL, the process is more agent-led. Most of the clubs are approached with recommendations for a position they are recruiting in, rather than seeking out players themselves.
Foreign players coming in on large fees are commanding three-, four-, five-year deals, even at the end of their career. They have the upper hand in negotiations and wouldn't leave European football without long-term financial guarantees.
However, the Chinese government is concerned about capital leaving the country and it is difficult for these big transactions to exist while they are trying to crack down in other areas.
I think we will see a levelling out in fees. The £15m-£20m transfers will continue to happen for the next few years, but maybe we won't see the likes of the £60m deal that brought Oscar to China.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39054358
|
Saint-Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (agg 0-4) - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Manchester United reach the Europa League last 16 despite seeing Eric Bailly sent off and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sustain an injury.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester United eased into the last 16 of the Europa League with victory at Saint-Etienne but goalscorer Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be out of Sunday's EFL Cup final after limping off.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg thanks to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick, United started sharply in front of a noisy home support at a stadium often referred to as 'The Cauldron', with Mkhitaryan flicking in Juan Mata's cross early on to leave the hosts needing five goals.
The Armenian departed shortly after and clutched his hamstring as he entered the tunnel, an injury which could impact on manager Jose Mourinho's team selection for Sunday's Wembley meeting with Southampton.
And although United had defender Eric Bailly sent off for two bookable offences in the second half, they rarely looked under pressure in securing a place in Friday's last-16 draw.
Short of a Loic Perrin header, which was easily held by Sergio Romero in the first half, United - who had made six changes - were comfortable throughout, with Marcus Rashford poking wide when well placed in the second period.
The first leg of their next game in the competition will arrive days before an FA Cup tie at Chelsea but with just one defeat in 25 matches, Mourinho continues to shuffle his pack efficiently and the challenge for three cup successes remains in tact.
United's brilliant run of form since early November has largely coincided with Mkhitaryan establishing himself as a first-team regular.
His sixth goal for the club was a deft flick at the near post as he guided the ball low into the net, effectively ending the contest.
His inclusion, along with that of Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, perhaps suggested Mourinho felt United still had work to do in the tie, despite the prospect of a first major trophy of the Portuguese manager's reign being on offer on Sunday.
But Mourinho believes his playmaker will have "too little time" to overcome the injury and Michael Carrick also looks a doubt with a calf complaint.
The injuries will pose selection dilemmas but could pave the way for Wayne Rooney - whose future at the club looks uncertain - to perhaps figure more prominently at Wembley.
If Mkhitaryan's injury frustrated Mourinho, he was visibly angered as he waved his hand up in protest when by Bailly was dismissed for two yellow cards in a 185-second spell.
Bailly was fractionally late on Romain Hamouma to bring about his second caution, though Mourinho felt the winger "enjoyed too much the diving and simulation".
The defender will miss the first-leg of the next round, but his dismissal should not take any gloss from a professional display. When resistance was needed, it arrived - notably when Bailly and Romero raced to thwart Kevin Monnet-Paquet's burst towards goal in the first half.
At the other end, the pace of Rashford, drive of Pogba and threat of Ibrahimovic ensured United always looked capable carving their hosts open and finding extra gears if needed.
Almost nine years have passed since their last European success under then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who watched from the stands as United made it five wins in a row, with just one goal conceded.
Tough opposition such as Lyon and Roma could yet arise in the Europa League but United clearly look well placed for an assault on a trophy they have never won and though injuries mount, they carry strong momentum into the first domestic cup final of the season.
"The right message" - what the managers said
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: "Everything was under control, solid, focused, professional. Obviously the first goal kills every hope. We still like to win the game. I told the players if someone gives me a 2-1 victory it is not enough. I always want the best possible result.
"I have to give the right message to the players and the right message is to play with a strong team and have a bench with options. We knew it would be difficult. It was important to play solid and to have complete control of the game."
Saint-Etienne manager Christophe Galtier: "I would love for my players to have won this game for themselves, first of all, but also for the fans because they would have deserved it. The fans were just exceptional tonight."
• None Since winning their final Europa League group game against Zorya Luhansk in December, United have conceded just seven goals in 18 games, winning 14.
• None Man Utd have kept four successive clean sheets in European competition for the first time since December 2013.
• None Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been involved in five goals in his last six games for Man Utd in all competitions (three goals, two assists).
• None Man Utd have scored in all but one of their last 26 games in all competitions (0-0 v Hull on 1 February).
• None Attempt saved. Jorginho (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Fabien Lemoine tries a through ball, but Kévin Monnet-Paquet is caught offside.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Florentin Pogba tries a through ball, but Nolan Roux is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Paul Pogba.
• None Attempt missed. Vincent Pajot (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Kévin Théophile-Catherine tries a through ball, but Romain Hamouma is caught offside.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Romain Hamouma (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kévin Monnet-Paquet.
• None Attempt missed. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Paul Pogba. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39043662
|
Ryan Sidebottom: Yorkshire's ex-England seamer to retire at end of the season - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Yorkshire's ex-England seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom announces he will retire at the end of the County Championship season.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Yorkshire seamer Ryan Sidebottom has announced he will retire at the end of the forthcoming county season.
The 39-year-old left-armer played 22 Tests for England, also winning the ICC World Twenty20 title with them in 2010.
He also won five County Championship titles, three with his native Yorkshire and two with Nottinghamshire.
"There's a tear in my eye whenever I think about not playing professional cricket again - a game that's given me so much over the years," he said.
Sidebottom, whose father Arnie also played for Yorkshire and won one Test cap in 1985, has taken 1,028 wickets in all competitions, including 737 in first-class cricket.
Born in Huddersfield, he began and will end his career at Yorkshire, either side of a spell at Nottinghamshire between 2004 and 2010.
"I've always tried to play with a smile on my face and give 110% because I absolutely love this sport," he continued.
"It's been an honour to represent my home county, Yorkshire, play for my country and help make history at Nottinghamshire.
"I couldn't have asked for better team-mates and they've helped me become the cricketer I am today."
After making a wicketless Test debut against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001, Sidebottom had to wait six years for a second chance.
His most successful series came in New Zealand in 2008, when his left-arm swing bowling captured 24 wickets at an average of 17.08 - including a hat-trick in the first Test at Hamilton - in a 2-1 England victory.
He never played against Australia during his Test career, but took 2-26 against them in the 2010 World T20 final as Paul Collingwood's side became the first - and so far only - England team to win a global International Cricket Council limited-overs tournament.
He retired from international cricket later that year.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire pair Liam Plunkett and Alex Lees have been added to the MCC team for the champion county match against Middlesex, starting in Abu Dhabi on 26 March.
Plunkett replaces injured team-mate Matt Fisher, while Lees comes in for England opener Haseeb Hameed, who has withdrawn from the squad to undergo sinus surgery.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39039976
|
Medieval McDonald's in Shrewsbury set to close - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Parts of the McDonald's store in Shrewsbury date back to the 12th Century.
| null |
A McDonald's based inside a medieval building in Shrewsbury is set to close.
With parts of the structure dating back to the 12th Century it is thought to be the oldest in the world to house one of the chain's restaurants.
The outlet on Pride Hill opened 34 years ago and will shut when the lease expires.
A spokeswoman for McDonald's said the building "wasn't suitable to meet their future plans".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-39043775
|
'Foreign spouse income deportation would leave us homeless' - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The Supreme Court has upheld rules which prevent some British citizens' foreign spouses coming to the UK.
| null |
A family in the UK say they are at risk of being torn apart because of income rules surrounding foreign spouses.
Lian Papay's American husband AJ, who is their son's main carer, faces being deported because of repeated visa rejections.
As of 2012, Britons must earn more than £18,600 before a husband or wife from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can settle in the UK.
Judges in the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by families who argued that the rules breached their human right to a family life.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39049093
|
Newspaper review: The '£1m bomber' and 'storm chaos' - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A British suicide bomber makes many of the front pages, while others warn of the incoming Storm Doris.
|
The Papers
|
A picture of Ronald Fiddler was released by the so-called Islamic State group
The Brexit Secretary David Davis has said Britain will stay open to EU immigration many years after leaving the EU, according to The Times.
Speaking in the Estonian capital, Tallin, Mr Davis is quoted as saying: "Don't expect just because we're changing who makes the decision on the policy, the door will suddenly shut. It won't".
Brexit Secretary David Davis was speaking on a visit to eastern Europe
According to the Guardian, the City of London has warned that the loss of banking jobs to EU countries because of Brexit could threaten British and European financial stability.
Interviews with several senior bankers and business leaders are said to reveal growing certainty that there will be a wave of relocations this year.
The front of the Daily Mail carries a picture of the former Guantanamo Bay detainee from Manchester, Ronald Fiddler - also known as Abu-Zakariya al-Britani - who is believed to have carried out a suicide bombing in Mosul over the weekend.
Referring to compensation he received after being released in 2004, the Mail tells readers: "You paid him one million pounds."
His brother, Leon Jameson, tells the Times: "It is him, I can tell by his smile". He says his brother "wasted his life".
"UK roads are ruined" says a headline in The Times. A leading economics consultancy has found that Britain's roads are in a worse state than those of many other developed nations - despite high fuel taxes.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research ranks UK roads 27th in the world and claims our main highways are in a worse state than those in poorer countries such as Malaysia, Namibia and Ecuador.
The lead in the i says the dream of owning a home is fading for young families. Figures apparently show that house-buying rates among the "just about managing" have fallen far behind their foreign counterparts.
For those with incomes slightly below the national average, Britain is placed 32nd out of 37 countries - behind Romania, Croatia and Mexico.
The paper claims the figures have brought charges that ministers are failing a whole generation of aspiring home owners. But the government says its halted a decline in home ownership, which began in 2003.
A couple of the papers lead on the storm heading for Britain. The Express predicts plunging thermometers and "chaos". "Batten down the hatches," says the Mirror, "here comes Doris".
A picture of the Queen presenting poet Gillian Allnutt with a medal at Buckingham Palace shows an electric fire
And the Sun wonders if Her Majesty has been trying to save on the heating bills this winter. A picture in several papers of her handing The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry to to Gillian Allnutt at Buckingham Palace yesterday reveals the room is being heated by a portable two bar electric fire. The Mail calls the Queen "the thriftiest royal.... bar none".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-39047697
|
Who spends $150,000 on a kid's birthday party? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Children's birthday parties are getting expensive in some countries - but how much would you spend keeping up with the Joneses?
| null |
Children's birthday parties can be an expensive affair.
In some parts of Asia, where disposable incomes are high, families are happy to fork out a fortune. As part of our Business of Kids series, we met some top-notch party planners cashing in on the opportunity .
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39001801
|
Driver proves Southampton Central station parking bays 'too small' - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Jago Lawless has had an £80 fine overturned and some parking spaces will now be repainted.
|
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
|
Jago Lawless said drivers have to adjust their parking to get in and out of their cars, which resulted in his front wheel being "an inch, two inches over the line"
A motorist has had a fine for parking over the line of a bay overturned after he proved the spaces were "too small".
Jago Lawless, 46, was fined £80 for not parking his Hyundai i10 within a bay at Southampton Central station about a week ago.
After receiving the ticket, the naval architect measured the space and said it was "too small for an average-size car".
South West Trains said some spaces at the station would now be repainted.
According to the British Parking Association, there is no legal minimum size for parking bays, but there is a design standard which is 15.7ft (4.8m) in length and 7.8ft (2.4m) in width.
"When I first measured the entrance into the car parking bay, it measured at about 2.4m," Mr Lawless said.
"But because they've angled the parking bar over, the parallel width between the lines is actually only 1.978m wide, which is too small for an average-size car."
Mr Lawless measured the space after receiving an £80 fine for not parking within the white lines
Mr Lawless added: "I couldn't believe that, having parked such a small car, that I could not have parked it properly.
"Because they are at an angle, they are too small - they're far too narrow and they're not long enough.
"You have to adjust parking your car to enable you to get in and out of the car."
South West Trains said the 21 angled spaces at the 182-space car park would be repainted
South West Trains said the spaces at the car park were set up prior to any recommendations on parking bays being issued.
In a statement, it said: "Now this issue has been raised, we will be re-marking the small number of angled spaces in this car park to increase their width."
It said the penalty issued to Mr Lawless had also been withdrawn.
There is no legal minimum size for parking bays, but there is a design standard which is 15.7ft (4.8m) in length and 7.8ft (2.4m) in width
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-39037547
|
Wheelchair user creates mannequin to target disabled consumers - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
British businesses could be losing out on a potential £420 million a week by failing to target disabled consumers.
| null |
British businesses could be losing out on a potential £420 million a week by failing to target disabled consumers.
Sophie Morgan is an artist who designed the 'Mannequal' – a wheelchair for mannequins that is both a style guide for wheelchair users and a symbol of inclusivity.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39047928
|
How drug development is speeding up in the cloud - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How cloud computing is speeding up the development of potentially life-saving drugs.
|
Business
|
Developing new drugs to fight major diseases can take years and cost billions of dollars
Developing a drug from a promising molecule to a potential life-saver can take more than a decade and cost billions of dollars.
Speeding this process up - without compromising on safety or efficacy - would seem to be in everyone's interests.
And cloud computing is helping to do just that.
"Cloud platforms are globally accessible and easily available," says Kevin Julian, managing director at Accenture Life Sciences, Accelerated R&D Services division.
"This allows for real-time collection of data from around the world, providing better access to data from inside life sciences companies, as well as from the many partners they work with in the drug development process."
All pharmaceutical drugs are tested on animals first before humans
Clinical trials - testing how a new drug works on people once you've tested it on animals - are a crucial part of this process. But they can be very complex to organise and run.
There are three main phases, starting with a small group of healthy volunteers, then widening out to larger groups who would benefit from the drug.
"A big phase three trial will cost anything from $30m-$60m (£24m-£48m) for a pharma company," says Steve Rosenberg, general manager of Oracle Health Sciences Global Business Unit.
These trials may be conducted over 30 to 50 countries and involve hundreds or even thousands of patients - this takes a lot of time and money.
Genomics is driving the development of more targeted drugs rather than "blockbusters"
"Patient recruitment has always been the number one problem," says Mr Rosenberg.
And as drug development targets more specific groups of people, largely thanks to the insights coming from genomics, finding the right patients for such clinical studies is becoming even harder.
This is where the cloud can help.
"With cloud and related technologies, we are now able to mine real-world data to find patient populations better, and utilise globally available technology to conduct trials in an even more distributed and inclusive manner," says Mr Julian.
Cloud and increasing digitalisation is also helping to improve the efficiency of data collection and analysis.
"Data collection used to be very inefficient, with data being written on paper forms, faxed and then entered into computers manually," explains Tarek Sherif, co-founder and chief executive of Medidata, a company that has developed a cloud platform for clinical trials.
"Then it had to be double-checked for errors. It could take up to a year before you could draw any conclusions from the patient data."
The demand for cheap medicines is often at odds with drug companies' need to make a profit
Digitising the process and automating the checking process in the cloud has reduced this time to "one to two weeks," says Mr Sherif.
And cloud offers many additional advantages to pharma companies, says Mr Rosenberg.
"These days health data is coming from a wide variety of sources, like labs, wearable devices, electronic diaries, health records. Pharma companies can't necessarily handle all the data that's coming in to them.
"So cloud computing helps them do that and gives them a whole bunch of other advantages - the technology is kept up to date, you get the latest security, the latest features and so on."
A spokesman for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) told the BBC: "Advances in computing and data analytics are providing new opportunities to improve the efficiency of our research and increase our understanding of a disease or a patient's response to medication."
Finding the right patients for a clinical trial is time-consuming and costly
Speeding up the clinical trial process also cuts costs.
"We were able to save one of our clients about 30% on the cost of running a trial," says Mr Sherif, whose firm facilitates nearly half of all clinical trials in the world and counts 17 of the top 25 pharma companies as clients.
And Accenture's Mr Julian says: "We've seen overall savings of 50% - in some cases up to 75% - on the historically labour-intensive parts of the drug development process."
Of course, not all prospective drugs work, or they're shown to work but not any better than existing drugs on the market.
"So the Holy Grail is to fail faster so you're not failing in the very final phases of drug development when you've already spent most of your money," says Mr Sherif.
Winning regulatory approval for a drug is only half the battle. Pharma companies also have to convince health services and insurance companies that's it's worth paying for.
In the past, patients were often asked to keep written diaries of their experiences with a drug being tested, but these were "horribly inefficient", says Mr Sherif.
So the rise of electronic diaries and wearable devices is helping to improve the evidence a pharma company can present in defence of their latest drug.
With this is mind, Oracle is helping add "mHealth" capability to Accenture Life Sciences' cloud platform.
And GSK says: "We've been conducting clinical studies with biosensors and mobile devices for some time.
"Today's digital technology is enabling us to collect and analyse data in new ways - monitoring activity and vital signs in patients, and collecting patient feedback in real time, improving the quality of data we use in the development of new medicines."
The cloud is also encouraging more pharma companies to co-operate on molecule development [the building blocks of a potential drug], says Mr Rosenberg, as well as on data analysis.
And all this anonymised patient data - historical and recent - can potentially be shared in the battle to combat disease.
Discovering new molecules that could be developed in to drugs is still very difficult
"We are seeing clients increasingly use 'virtual studies' - using external and historical data to perform advanced statistical analysis and reduce the need for complicated, costly site-based study activity," says Accenture's Mr Julian, citing a collaborative Alzheimer's project between some of its clients and the Coalition Against Major Disease.
But while efficiencies in the drug development process are undoubtedly being found, discovering the initial molecule is still very difficult, experts warn.
Cloud computing is having a big practical impact, but won't necessarily result in a flurry of "miracle" cures.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39026239
|
Driverless cars - no halfway house? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Ford hopes to avoid a lengthy transition to autonomous vehicles.
|
Technology
|
The progress in driverless car technology over recent years has been astounding. A future when you can hop in and have a sleep while an autonomous vehicle takes you to your destination appears to be closer than anyone thought just five years ago.
Getting there, however, will involve quite a few stages, with cars getting more and more autonomous but human drivers still having some role. Or will it?
A report by Bloomberg says Ford is going to skip a step and go straight to fully autonomous driving. The article says that is because engineers who are testing the company's self-driving vehicles are falling asleep at the wheel because there is so little for them to do.
Ford tells me that only part of this story is true: "Reports that Ford engineers were falling asleep while testing autonomous vehicles are inaccurate."
But it goes on to say that "high levels of automation without full autonomy capability could provide a false sense of security".
That means it is difficult for the driver to suddenly take control if there is a situation where the technology is not up to it. And that's why it is going to head straight to what is known as SAE level four - "autonomous capability that will take the driver completely out of the driving process in defined areas".
SAE is a global organisation of automotive engineers that has come up with a definition of six levels of automation, from zero - where the driver is in full control - to five, where the car does everything in all circumstances.
In January, at CES in Las Vegas, Ford's Ken Washington told me confidently that the company would have a fully autonomous car on the road by 2021: "The vehicles we are going to put in our 2021 fully autonomous ride service will not have a steering wheel, they won't have a brake pedal," he explained.
"So this means there's no issue with drivers having to take over control because the vehicle will know how to handle all scenarios."
Most of the car industry seems to believe that the evolution of automation will be a more gradual affair, with drivers slowly learning to trust their cars to do ever more. But I can see why Ford sees a problem with a halfway house, where the driver only occasionally needs to take over.
Last year, I drove a Tesla in Autopilot mode down an American freeway - and found it a nerve-wracking experience. My hands hovered over the steering wheel and my foot over the brake, ready to act if needed. As the technology improves, perhaps we will get more relaxed about taking our hands off the wheel, eating a sandwich or watching a video - but that could then make us less capable of responding quickly when we need to take over.
That is why Ford wants to move swiftly to full autonomy - but is that practical? I caught up with a leading British figure in this field, Professor Paul Newman, whose Oxbotica firm is developing autonomous vehicles.
He thought Ford was serious about that 2021 target but stressed that what it was promising was not a car that would drive itself anywhere but what he called "mobility as a service". The vehicles would be owned by the company and would operate as a sort of autonomous taxi: "It would be a limited service on specific routes. Just like a bus can't go anywhere, you would only operate this where you were confident that it would work."
Professor Newman believes that we will first see fully autonomous vehicles operating at quite slow speeds in cities rather than on motorways. "The trick is then to have the machines learn through use and ever expand their domains."
So we have two competing strategies. Most of the car industry is looking to build ever more autonomous capabilities into something that will still look like a traditional car, in the expectation that it will take until 2030 to reach the full autonomy of SAE level five.
But both Ford and Google seem confident that building vehicles that won't look so familiar will get them to level four - full autonomy in defined areas. They hope that will change the way we think about road transport far more quickly. Let battle commence...
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39050538
|
Ordsall Chord: Manchester rail link bridge lifted into place - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The 600 tonne bridge across the River Irwell will link Manchester's Victoria and Piccadilly stations.
| null |
Two giant railway arches have been lifted into place linking Manchester's Victoria and Piccadilly stations as part of the Ordsall Chord scheme.
The 600-tonne structure was lifted into place across the River Irwell using one of the largest cranes in Europe on Tuesday.
The scheme is part of the multi-million pound Northern Hub upgrade for rail services across the North of England.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-39045147
|
Unilever stung into action by Kraft - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Kraft Heinz's failed bid for Unilever has forced the Anglo-Dutch company to focus on the bottom line.
|
Business
|
Unilever is behind some of Britain's best-known brands
Think of Kraft Heinz's assault on Unilever as a slap in the face for management. It was short-lived, shocking, and will smart for a good while yet.
It's a slap that says "we think we can do a better job for your shareholders than you". That is not a message you want to get lodged in shareholders minds if you are Unilever's management and today the company acknowledged the sting.
"Unilever is conducting a comprehensive review of options available to accelerate delivery of value for the benefit of our shareholders. The events of the last week have highlighted the need to capture more quickly the value we see in Unilever."
That is the sound of a company cheek smarting.
It is very rare for corporate raiders like Warren Buffett (24% owner of Kraft Heinz) and Brazilian financier Jorge Lemann (owner of 3G) to back off so quickly. Once you dangle higher returns in front of pragmatic investors, they usually want to see what the next chat up line might be.
The Unilever management will take some pride in the fact they convinced some of their own major shareholders to back their rejection of the offer so flatly. The management argument, as told to me by senior management, went something like this.
Yes - Kraft has much higher profit margins than Unilever (23% compared to 15%) so looks like the better operator. But - Kraft habitually invests less in the future, therefore has lower organic (internally generated) growth and is saddled with more than average amounts of debt.
As a result it needs to acquire other companies to keep the growth going and pays for it by using yet more debt, which is financed in part with cash the target company has in the bank.
That model, argues Unilever, is not sustainable. Before long, we would be part of an underinvested, short-term profit-seeking, company-eating machine. As soon as Unilever had been digested, Kraft would be hungry again.
When the management of the company you want to buy REALLY don't want to sell to you, you can always go over their heads, cut them out of the negotiation and appeal directly to the shareholders.
But "going hostile" costs a lot more money and excites much more regulatory and political interest than a deal which the management recommends.
Many UK politicians welcomed the Kraft defeat as a victory for responsible long-term thinking by one of Europe's biggest companies and its shareholders who wisely eschewed the Jerry Maguire "show me the money" approach.
It's lucky for them they did. It will give the government a bit more time to figure out their own play book for how to deal with future bids - which are certainly coming thanks to the discount UK companies are selling at thanks to a near 20% depreciation in sterling post-referendum.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, I spoke to half a dozen US executives who were running the rule over potential UK targets - big and small.
Current rules only allow the government to intervene when takeovers could compromise financial stability, national security or media plurality.
Targets I heard discussed included food and drink, engineering and technology companies based or listed in the UK with foreign earnings potential. You can come up with a reasonably long list using those criteria.
Despite a few eye-catching deals like Japan's Softbank swoop on ARM Holdings and the upstart company Skyscanner being sold to a Chinese rival, there is no flood yet.
In fact, merger activity overall is still subdued as bidders are still wary of the prospects for UK companies with exposure to domestic and EU markets until greater clarity emerges on the future relationship between the two.
As Kraft Heinz retreats with its tail between its legs for now there is plenty of food for thought for both Unilever and government.
Unilever's CEO Paul Polman has been warned that if he doesn't focus more on the bottom line, someone else will.
The government may have to decide quickly whether foreign takeovers are a sign of confidence in the UK to be welcomed or opportunistic raiding parties to be resisted.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39056240
|
Six Nations 2017: George North to start for Wales against Scotland - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Wing George North recovers from a bruised thigh to start for Wales in Saturday's Six Nations match against Scotland.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC One, S4C, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
Wing George North has recovered from a bruised thigh to start for Wales in Saturday's Six Nations match against Scotland at Murrayfield.
The 24-year-old replaces Alex Cuthbert in the only change from the 21-16 defeat by England in Cardiff.
Ross Moriarty continues at number eight, while Taulupe Faletau remains on the bench for Rob Howley's side.
There is just one change among the Wales replacements, as second row Luke Charteris replaces Cory Hill.
North was selected for the match against England on 11 February but was withdrawn an hour before kick-off.
The Northampton Saints wing was replaced by Cuthbert, who was criticised after England scored a late try to snatch victory at the Principality Stadium.
"We have been able to select from a position of strength which is a huge positive and it is good to welcome George [North] back into the starting XV and Luke [Charteris] on to the bench," said Howley.
• None Four changes for Wales women's team to play Scotland
• None Keep up to date with BBC Six Nations alerts
• None How to watch and follow Wales in the Six Nations with the BBC
"In terms of intensity and performance, we stepped up a level against England and we need to take the positives from that performance and take it into 80 minutes against Scotland at Murrayfield."
Wales in the 2017 Six Nations
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39050103
|
Six Nations 2017: England leave out Jonathan Joseph for Italy game - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
England centre Jonathan Joseph will not face Italy in Sunday's Six Nations match after being left out of the 24-man training squad.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
England centre Jonathan Joseph has been left out of the squad preparing to face Italy in the Six Nations on Sunday.
Joseph, 25, has played in all 15 Tests under Eddie Jones but is back with Bath after being cut from a 24-man squad.
Elliot Daly is favourite to start at outside centre, with Ben Te'o also pushing for a starting berth, while James Haskell is set to return on the open-side flank.
England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Friday morning.
They need to shed one more player from the retained squad when they select their matchday 23.
If selected in the run-on XV Haskell would be making his first start since June 2016.
The 31-year-old spent six months out with a foot injury before featuring as a replacement in victories over France and Wales in this year's Six Nations.
Prop Mako Vunipola and wing Anthony Watson have been included after recovering from injury, but both may be used from the bench against the Azzurri.
England trained last week with Owen Farrell at fly-half and Teo'o and Daly in the centre, a combination which has yet to start a Test.
In recent matches Farrell has played at inside centre, outside starting fly-half George Ford.
But assistant coach Steve Borthwick says vice-captain Farrell, who is set to win his 50th cap, will be an influence wherever he is selected.
"It's great we have versatility there, it allows flexibility," Borthwick said. "He is a great player and a fantastic leader."
Italy have recalled Exeter centre Michele Campagnaro as they make four changes for Sunday's match.
Three come in the backs, with fly-half Tommaso Allan and wing Giulio Bisegni joining Campagnaro in the starting XV.
Braam Steyn replaces Maxime Mbanda at blind-side flanker as Italy search for their first win of the tournament.
Conor O'Shea's side are bottom of the Six Nations table after heavy defeats by Wales and Ireland.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39056869
|
How Milo's downfall split the alt-right - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Leading figures and activists on the alt-right have split over controversial comments made by one of the movement's champions.
|
BBC Trending
|
Comedian Bill Maher (left) hosted Milo Yiannopoulos (right) on his television show
Leading figures and activists on the alt-right have split over controversial comments made by one of the movement's champions.
Milo Yiannopoulos is a passionate supporter of Donald Trump and rose to fame as an editor at the right-wing website Breitbart. His extreme views on feminism and Islam made him a darling of the American alt-right - a loose collection of anti-immigration, anti-political correctness conservatives including many white nationalists. Although Yiannopoulos has consistently said he is not a member of the movement, in March 2016 co-wrote a much-cited defence of the alt-right.
But now he appears to have crossed a line with his views after videos surfaced in which he appeared to condone paedophilia, and some of his former allies have turned against him.
The footage showed him discussing the supposed merits of gay relationships between adults and boys as young as 13. Yiannopoulos will no longer speak at a US conservative conference and a book deal, reportedly worth $250,000, has been cancelled.
On Tuesday he resigned from Breitbart. In a statement he said his "poor choice of words" was detracting from the work of his colleagues.
Writer Milo Yiannopoulos at one of his controversial university speaking engagements in the US
While many grass-root supporters are standing by him, a number of high profile right-wing figures seem to have decided his latest comments are a step too far.
Tim Treadstone tweets under the name Baked Alaska and ranked number eight on Time Magazine's most influential Twitter feeds of 2017. He was one of the first alt-right activists to openly criticise Milo.
Gavin McInnes, a co-founder of Vice Media and now a leading anti-feminist campaigner, was also quick to distance himself from Milo's comments, but at the same time claimed that the Breitbart editor was being targeted by establishment forces.
"Advocating sex w 13-yr-olds under ANY conditions is indefensible but this is ultimately about the old right's disdain for the new right," he tweeted.
The white nationalist Richard B Spencer, one of the leaders of the movement and someone who had previously described Yiannopoulos as "alt light" was dismissive.
Yiannopoulos did though get support from some parts of the far right. Alex Jones, who runs the far right Infowars, uploaded a video defending Yiannopoulos, blaming the mainstream media for taking his words out of context.
Debate has also been raging on the social media site Gab, which as BBC Trending has previously reported, is a favourite hangout of the alt-right. Users seem divided over whether Yiannopoulos deserves sympathy or condemnation.
"Yes, Milo is a flamboyant provocateur, but this coordinated attack on him by the #FakeNews is disgusting," wrote one user who signed off with the hashtag "Stand with Milo."
Another wrote: "Please let's not lose this guy. Nothing is worse than serving a cause, and getting chewed up and spit out."
While most of the messages on Gab defended Yiannopoulos, many users were critical: "Regardless if recent events are justified or not, I haven't liked that many were hitching the movement to Milo. He's always been a bit of an attention whore."
"Milo has always insisted he isn't #altright, he recently disavowed white identity and on Maher said he wasn't even conservative," wrote another. "He basically disavowed the entire right so what are we defending here exactly?"
Next story: The mystery of the anti-UKIP Twitter machine
Why is a strange network of Twitter accounts, usually the source of pro-Russian messages, now pumping out tweets about a very specific British election?READ MORE
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-39045458
|
Helen Bailey murder: Fiance Ian Stewart found guilty - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The fiance of the suffocated children's author Helen Bailey has been found guilty of murder.
| null |
The fiance of a children's author who drugged and suffocated her before throwing her body in a hidden cesspit has been found guilty of murder.
Ian Stewart, 56, had denied murdering Helen Bailey but was convicted at St Albans Crown Court.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39051642
|
UK supermarkets: Why don't they sell more British food? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Importing food is getting more expensive so why don't UK supermarkets get more of their supplies from home?
|
Business
|
The ingredients from a simple ready meal may have come from all corners of the earth
When you pop your chicken tikka masala ready meal into the microwave at the end of a long day at work, you're likely to be thinking how hungry you are rather than marvelling at the global trade deals that brought it about in the first place.
Yet the chicken, spices and rice in that box are in reality the result of a series of complex trading relationships.
The chicken may have come from Thailand, the pilau rice from India and the spices from elsewhere in Asia. Even the packaging is likely to have been sourced internationally, while the meal itself may well have been produced outside the UK.
The recent scandal at Waitrose, which was forced to rebrand the lamb ready meals in its "British" range because some are made with lamb from New Zealand, has highlighted the issue.
Waitrose has said all its "British" lamb meals will be rebranded as "Classic"
"When we go into a supermarket, restaurant or coffee shop, we're at the very centre of a huge web of food and drink trading relationships, with layers and layers of exchanges going on out of sight," says James Walton, chief economist at food and grocery research charity IGD.
All those deals add up to a significant industry. We import more than we export of all types of food. The UK imported a whopping £38.5bn worth of food, feed and drink in 2015, the most recent official statistics available.
The number dwarfs the £18bn worth of food we exported that year. In fact, just half of the food we eat in the UK originates here, with most of the rest imported from Europe.
A recent vegetable shortage, driven by bad weather in southern Europe, highlighted this dependence, and led to a flurry of pictures on social media of empty supermarket shelves.
On top of this, the pound's 14% fall against the euro since the Brexit vote means imports cost more, and there is huge uncertainty over what effect leaving the EU will have on the cost and availability of food from Europe.
All of this begs the obvious question: shouldn't supermarkets simply rely more on British suppliers instead?
Supermarkets are coy on just how much they source from the UK, with Morrisons the only one of the "Big Four" to answer my email on this question. Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's did not reply.
Morrisons, which says it already sources around two-thirds of its supplies from the UK, has pledged to recruit 200 more British suppliers after a report it commissioned found global uncertainties meant it "makes increasing sense to build up a stronger local food sector".
The report's author, Prof Tim Benton, said the aim of doing this "is not to disengage from reliance on global trade, but to hedge our bets by increasing local production for local consumption".
Local is all the rage right now, with the popularity of farmers' markets, homemade artisan breads and craft beers continuing apace. People expect food and drink that hasn't travelled thousands of miles to taste better. The assumption is also that production standards will be higher.
People are also keen to support their local economy. In fact, three-quarters of people said they try to buy British food and drink if it is available, mainly with the motivation to support British manufacturers and jobs, according to IGD's December survey of 1,700 shoppers. Although notably, a lot less - just under a third - said they were willing to pay more for the privilege.
Tesco was criticised last year for tapping into this trend, using fictional British-sounding farm names on labelling for a range of meat and fresh produce, some of which was sourced from abroad.
Rosedene Farms may sound British - but the strawberries are from Morocco
But while the notion of buying British may be appealing, the reality is that on a bigger scale it's very difficult to achieve.
Even if we ate all the food we exported, we would still generate less than two-thirds of what we need, according to Prof Benton.
And while Morrisons has pledged to source more from the UK, the chain is in an unusual position in that it already owns an abattoir and meat-processing operations, as well as bakeries and produce-packing sites, making it easier for it to be more self-reliant.
For many of its rivals, replicating this kind of domestic supply chain would be much tougher.
Paul Martin, head of retail at consultancy KPMG, says often the economics just don't stack up.
"On paper, it's very appealing, but the challenge is that due to the high cost of manufacturing in the UK, you need to have a very high utilisation rate. If you are a supermarket then you're likely only to supply to yourself," he says.
The hurdles aren't just financial. The UK doesn't actually have enough room to grow all the crops and keep all the animals that we currently eat. The climate means there are also certain items, such as bananas, that we simply cannot grow at scale in the UK.
Given the massive housing shortage in the UK, Mr Martin says it's unlikely to be desirable politically to use more land for farming.
The UK could never produce enough wine to satisfy demand, says KPMG's Paul Martin
And while supermarkets may talk of looking at alternative supply sources - something he notes is a good way of putting overseas suppliers under pressure to keep costs low - the reality is that the impact on consumers may also be unpalatable.
"If you suddenly say we'll shift 30% or 40% of imported food categories, even if it was possible, it would have a significant shift on the way people consume goods," says Mr Martin.
Lots of products, such as tomatoes and strawberries, which we take for granted as being available all year round, no longer would be. And, he says with a smile, the UK could never produce enough wine to satisfy demand.
The other problem is producing more home grown products in significantly more volume in an economy almost entirely reliant on the services economy would require a dramatic revolution that would take years.
"The evolution of our supply chain moving abroad took some years and moving it back would take a similar length of time. The reality is this is something that cannot be changed quickly, whether you're talking about courgettes or cotton trousers," says veteran retail analyst Richard Hyman.
While the rising costs of imports are expected to push the cost of our supermarket shop higher, Mr Hyman thinks the intensity of competition from discounters Lidl and Adli, and the ever-present threat of Amazon, means supermarkets will be willing to absorb much of these to protect their market share.
He believes for supermarkets this fierce war for customers is a far bigger priority than sourcing more food from the UK.
"This is the real challenge. A lot of questions go far, far deeper than a hut in a field in Lincolnshire. Would that it was that simple," he says.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39030755
|
Duchess of Cambridge plays pool on Torfaen Wales visit - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
The Duchess of Cambridge shows off her pool-playing skills on a visit to a children's charity in south Wales.
| null |
The Duchess of Cambridge showed off her pool-playing skills on a visit to a children's charity in south Wales.
She teamed up with Craig, 15, a service user at Torfaen Multi-disciplinary Intervention Service (MIST) - a child and adolescent mental health project.
He said: "She was talking about how MIST helps us and stuff with life and school. She was really interested in what we were talking about."
Asked what he thought of her pool skills, he pulled a face and said: "She was dreadful."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39052672
|
Met Police Commissioner: Who will be Britain's next top cop? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The UK's next top police officer will be chosen on Wednesday - who are the contenders?
|
UK
|
The UK's next top police officer will be chosen on Wednesday.
The final four candidates for Metropolitan Police Commissioner will face interviews with Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Policing Minister Brandon Lewis.
The Commissioner is not only the head of policing in London. He or she also has a range of national responsibilities including leading on counter-terrorism, national security policing, protection of the royal family and parliamentarians and major public events.
That means the job is not just about how to deploy the 31,000 police officers across the capital - but also how to deal with the complex challenges of keeping Britain and London's streets safe.
So who are the final four candidates for one of the toughest jobs in policing anywhere in the world?
Cressida Dick is one of the country's most experienced and well-known chief police officers who isn't actually working as one.
In 2014 she left Scotland Yard to take up a highly sensitive and undisclosed director-general post at the Foreign Office.
If the 56-year-old is selected to be the next commissioner, it will mean for the first time that all three top policing jobs in the UK are held by women: the Met Commissioner, the head of the National Crime Agency and the president of the National Police Chief's Council.
Ms Dick joined the Met in 1983 after graduating from Oxford University. She first came to public prominence when she was the senior officer in charge of the operation in July 2005 that led to the mistaken killing of Jean Charles de Menezes as a suspected suicide bomber.
When the force was later prosecuted for breaching health and safety laws, the jury in the case said they believed there was "no personal culpability" for then Commander Dick after listening to her evidence.
In 2009 she became the first woman to be appointed an assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police, becoming the national lead for counter-terrorism across the UK.
Her other experience includes taking on internal reforms of Scotland Yard and being one of the two senior officers in charge of security at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Sara Thornton became the first chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in 2015 when it replaced the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).
It is the co-ordinating body for all of the police forces in England and Wales, bringing together all the chief officers to thrash out national policies on everything from investigating murders to modernising the workforce.
That means that she has been at the heart of the extremely complex challenges of changing the way police are recruited, trained and prepared for how their role is changing as crime does in the 21st century.
She joined the Metropolitan Police in 1986 after studying at Durham University and in 2000 went to neighbouring Thames Valley Police as an assistant chief constable. Seven years later she was made chief constable before becoming vice-president of the NPCC in 2011.
Shortly after taking over at the NPCC she warned that in the future the public should not expect to see a police officer after some burglaries.
She told the BBC that budget cuts and the changing nature of criminality meant the police had to prioritise and there had to be a conversation with the public about where limited police resources should be focused.
Stephen Kavanagh is the chief constable of Essex. He began his policing career with the Metropolitan Police Service in 1985 as a constable in Leyton in East London.
As a detective sergeant he worked in homicide and the then anti-terrorist branches and rose up the ranks to become area commander for North London.
Before that, he was part of the team that had to come up with the force's action plan and response to the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, which had branded the Met institutionally racist.
His other roles inside Scotland Yard have included working as a commander in counter-terrorism after the 2005 attacks on London and designing anti-corruption plans to root out crooked officers.
In 2011 he became the public face of the Metropolitan Police during the August riots that followed the shooting of Mark Duggan. As deputy assistant commissioner he also had responsibility for the politically-charged investigations into phone hacking and payments to public officials by journalists.
Mark Rowley is the only one of the four candidates currently working inside Scotland Yard - and the only one to have started his career with another force.
After graduating from Cambridge, he joined West Midlands Police in 1987 and, after serving as a detective, joined the then National Criminal Intelligence Service, one of the predecessors of the National Crime Agency.
While he was there, Mr Rowley worked on developing covert techniques to target major organised crime gangs that work across the UK and other countries.
In 2009 he was appointed chief constable of Surrey, nine years after joining the force and having been in the chair temporarily since 2008.
Two years later he was recruited to the Metropolitan Police as an assistant commissioner - the rank inside the force broadly equivalent to a chief constable outside of London.
During his five years inside Scotland Yard he has been one of the public faces of the force. He has talked widely about terrorism threats - including the changes to counter-terrorism strategy in the wake of the Paris attacks.
When an inquest jury concluded that Mark Duggan had been lawfully killed by firearms officers in 2011, AC Rowley was the officer who gave a statement outside the court amid a barrage of chants from the dead man's supporters.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39034391
|
Adam & Simon Yates to miss Tour de France to focus on Giro d'Italia - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Britons Adam and Simon Yates will miss the Tour de France to tackle the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Britons Adam and Simon Yates will miss the Tour de France to focus on the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
Neither twin, 24, has competed in two Grand Tours in a single year before.
Adam Yates came fourth in last year's Tour de France general classification, but his Orica-Scott team boss said it was in the brothers' long-term interests to skip the 2017 race.
"We want to give the guys a bigger foundation for the future," said Matt White.
Italian Vincenzo Nibali is returning to defend his Giro title in May, with 2014 winner Nairo Quintana also set to appear in the field.
Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.
"Two Grand Tours is something I have never done and it's a new challenge," said Adam Yates.
"The 100th edition gives the Giro some big prestige this year. If we can get as close to the podium as possible, that is the aim."
Simon Yates missed last year's Tour de France as he served a four-month ban for a failed drugs test, blamedon an administrative error over his use of an asthma inhaler.
"From a purely physical standpoint, I think this year can really benefit me for the future," he said.
"It's a big load to do two Grand Tours, and ever since I have been a professional I have only done one Grand Tour per year."
The Giro begins in Sardinia on 5 May, while the Vuelta starts in the French town of Nimes on 19 August.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39051871
|
In pictures: Miniature worlds - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Artist Joshua Smith's tiny creations replicate real buildings.
|
In Pictures
|
From Sydney and Los Angeles to Hong Kong, artist Joshua Smith's small models depict the buildings of big cities. Everything in them is reduced to scale, down to worn posters and discarded cigarette stubs.
This model is based on a building found on Willow Street, in the Tenderloin neighbourhood of San Francisco.
This shipping container was originally located in Haymarket in Sydney, before Smith shrunk it down to size.
This building is also based on one found in Sydney's Chinatown, and contains LED lights to keep it illuminated at night. Smith has even recreated the bin bags left on the street.
Smith's work features in New Realities, a group show that runs until 25 March 2017 at the Muriel Guepin Gallery in New York.
All photographs courtesy of the Muriel Guepin Gallery
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-39030785
|
Hibernian 3-1 Heart of Midlothian - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Holders Hibernian beat Edinburgh rivals Hearts to set up a home Scottish Cup quarter-final with Ayr United.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Holders Hibernian beat Edinburgh rivals Hearts to set up a home Scottish Cup quarter-final with Ayr on 4 March.
Jason Cummings latched on to substitute Andrew Shinnie's clever pass to give Hibs an early lead.
Cummings turned provider for Grant Holt's strike as Hearts fell two down before the break.
And Shinnie, who had replaced Chris Humphrey early on, rifled in the hosts' third in the second half, Esmael Goncalves replying for Hearts.
Hearts found themselves engulfed at the home of their closest rivals. The visitors had expected Hibs to start the game assertively, but the intensity and commitment still saw their resolve collapse.
Hibs were canny in their approach, since the vivid pace of Martin Boyle and Humphrey on the flanks was enough to alarm the Hearts full-backs. The latter only lasted four minutes, due to injury, but a series of crosses from the right by both wingers led to desperate Hearts defending.
The opening goal was typical, with Hibs swarming upfield and Shinnie having the presence of mind to split the Hearts defence with a through ball that allowed Cummings to finish with a powerful and precise finish - continuing his scoring record against Hearts after netting the winner in last season's fifth-round replay.
The second goal was agonising for Ian Cathro's side, since they conceded possession deep in their opponents' half through a sloppy Lennard Sowah pass, then found themselves further behind after three passes and a counter attack ended with Holt slipping home.
Hibs' tenacity was irrepressible. John McGinn set the tone in the second half when he carried the ball into the Hearts penalty area, lost it, but then won it back with such eagerness that the visiting defenders looked forlorn. He cut a pass back to Shinnie, and his effort was saved one-handed by Jack Hamilton.
Every Hibs figure was fully in command. When the home fans grumbled angrily at a misplaced pass, head coach Neil Lennon turned to the stand and beckoned them to calm down. When they applauded in response, he lifted his arms to raise the atmosphere.
McGinn, too, was a forceful presence in midfield. It was his determination to win the ball that led to Shinnie striking an effort from 20 yards that seemed to fly through Hamilton's hands for the decisive third goal.
By the end, the home fans were chanting "there's only one Ian Cathro" in mocking tones.
The Hearts head coach did not need a squad so much as the ability to clone Jamie Walker. The attacking midfielder was the sole figure of defiance in his side, but had to roam the field looking for a way to influence the game that he was mostly isolated.
Alexandros Tziolis is a clever, accomplished footballer, but he seemed at odds with the pace of the game. Malaury Martin looked like a player who had found himself in the wrong game.
He did not re-emerge for the second half, along with Perry Kitchen, but with Hibs so well organised and drilled, even the addition of a winger in Sam Nicholson and a forward in Rory Currie could not disrupt them.
Nicholson did create a chance for Walker, which he sent over, and Currie did win the ball before sending it to Goncalves, who was fouled by Darren McGregor for a penalty.
Goncalves took the spot-kick, but even that was half-hearted and Ofir Marciano saved twice before the striker eventually bundled the ball over the line.
It was too little, too late, and on the final whistle Walker sank to the ground, alone in feeling too deflated to stand. He was also the only one of the Hearts players to head towards the away fans to applaud them before he left the field.
• None Attempt saved. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
• None Attempt missed. John McGinn (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
• None Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• None Attempt missed. Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
• None Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the left wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38977353
|
Princess Diana's changing fashion style explored in exhibition - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
An exhibition tracing the changing styles of Diana, Princess of Wales, opens at Kensington Palace featuring iconic outfits throughout her life.
| null |
An exhibition tracing the changing styles of Diana, Princess of Wales, opens at Kensington Palace - featuring iconic outfits from before she was married to after her divorce in the 1990s.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39050222
|
Tomorrow's cities - nightmare vision of the future? - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Cities and citizens are increasingly connected - are we creating an urban machine?
|
Technology
|
Nighttime in the city but the sensors never sleep
The connected city never sleeps. The thousands of sensors embedded in roads, sewers, water pipes, streetlights are busy collecting information day and night. Perhaps even your bin, which might also be tweeting.
Sensor provider Enevo offers internet connection for bins in cities in Finland, the Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Canada and the US, and runs a Twitter feed - Trashcan Life.
The tweets aren't exactly sparkling wit, including insights such as:
It is part of a push to make bin collection smarter, cheaper and less frequent and may ultimately mean an end to the early wake-up call of the bins being emptied.
We may not be cyborgs yet, but many of us are already plugged into the network via wearables
If our cities are getting increasingly plugged into the network, then so are we.
Wearables that measure all kinds of things from body temperature, hydration levels, heart-rate and sleep patterns are commonplace.
And the data we collect can reveal interesting insights about how our lives, day and night, impacts our health.
Fitness band provider Jawbone compared the sleep data of one million users around the US and found that city residents tended to get far less than those in rural or suburban areas.
It also found that people living in the Brooklyn area of New York went to bed the latest while those in Maiu, Hawaii, had the earliest bedtime.
Will our future cities be run by machines?
''Our sleep cycles adapt to the pace and lifestyle of the world we live in and the world by which we are surrounded - which can be much more hectic, fast-paced and full of nightlife entertainment in major cities," the report said.
Meanwhile, a recent study from Microsoft mined data from 75 million keystrokes and clicks on Bing from more than 30,000 individuals wearing a fitness device.
The research found that those who were busiest during the day, based on their Microsoft calendars and search activity, slept worse at night and those who slept less than six hours for two consecutive nights were sluggish for the next six days.
The trend towards both cities and citizens being plugged into the network has only one logical conclusion, says Prof Andrew Hudson-Smith, from University College London's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.
"Bees exist on Earth to pollinate flowers, and maybe humans are here to build the machines," he says.
"Urban robots are just starting to appear, and in 200 years time, machines may run the urban form.
"The city will be one big joined-up urban machine, and humans' role on Earth will be done."
Light levels can be controlled via smart streetlamps
If that thought doesn't keep you awake at night, then a more mundane problem just might.
Cities never really get dark any more and that is becoming a serious issue, particularly for those who want to spend time looking at the night sky.
In September, the city authorities in Reykjavik, Iceland, ordered all street lights to be turned off in multiple sections of the city to facilitate better views of the northern lights.
Other cities are making the move to smart LED lights in an attempt to control the brightness of streetlights.
As well as offering significant savings because they last longer (up to 20 years) and emit far less energy, such lights can also be plugged into the network, meaning cities can decide when they want to throw out light and when they want to dim it.
Street lighting is estimated to account for 40% of a city's electricity bill, and cities that have made the move report huge savings - Detroit says it has shaved $2.5m (£2m) off of its annual bill.
In Glasgow, the council has taken the idea one step further - fitting smart street lights with noise sensors and connecting them to CCTV cameras so that, if noise goes above a certain level, an alert is sent to its operations centre for evaluation in case it is caused by anti-social or criminal behaviour.
The council told the BBC that it does not yet have any significant data on how the lights are performing.
It is just one illustration of how connected cities can veer from their original purpose into entirely new territories, which may not always be ones their inhabitants will feel entirely comfortable about.
Technology may help impose some order and efficiency on the urban landscape, but many who live there will hope cities long continue to be fast-paced and hectic. It is why many of us love them.
Barcelona has an impressive 500km (311-mile) fibre-optic network, which acts as a backbone for a host of connected services as well as providing citizens with city-wide wi-fi.
There are 19,500 smart meters in targeted areas of the city, which monitor and optimise energy consumption.
In transport, Barcelona has plenty of electric cars and bike-sharing schemes, while digital bus-stops don't just give waiting passengers updates on when buses will arrive but also provide charging stations, free wi-fi and information about the best apps to download to learn more about the city.
Drivers can take advantage of an app - ApparkB - that can identify empty parking spaces and allow users to pay for the spot online.
Even the irrigation systems in Barcelona's parks are hooked into the network.
Sensors monitor rain and humidity, allowing park workers to decide how much water is needed in each area, which has led to a 25% cut in the city's water bill.
Barcelona has made its city operating system - Sentilo - which controls all the sensors open-source and available to other cities.
Through the system, data is also shared with citizens.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37384152
|
Transgender dolls and all that Jazz - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
What has been described as the first transgender doll has gone into production in the US.
|
BBC Trending
|
A new toy billed as the world's "first transgender doll" has created a buzz on social media.
Thousands of tweets about the product unveiled by the Tonner Doll Company have been posted since it was announced that the doll would make its first appearance at this week's New York Toy Fair.
The doll is modelled on a teenage activist who was born a boy, but lives as a female. Jazz Jennings shot to fame when she was interviewed about her gender dysphoria by US TV presenter Barbara Walters.
That was a decade ago, and Jennings is now 16. She said on her Facebook page: "I was assigned male at birth but was a girl right from the start. I expressed myself as a girl to my family by gravitating towards dolls, dresses, sparkles, and everything feminine. I didn't just like girly objects, but I heavily insisted that I WAS a girl."
Jazz Jennings was just six years old when she went on US television to talk about her gender dysphoria
The question on many people's lips on social media was: what exactly makes a doll transgender? In one post, the doll's makers explained how the doll is a likeness of Jennings, but doesn't have genitalia.
But the company also came in for criticism:
Another person said any doll can be a transgender doll:
But many others on Facebook welcomed the idea:
As for Jazz's reaction to the doll, she wrote: "I love her. A portion of my proceeds will be donated to help trans youth who are struggling.
"I hope that it can place transgender people in a positive light by showing that we are just like all other people.
"Of course it is still just a regular girl doll because that's exactly what I am: a regular girl!"
Next story: The mystery of the anti-UKIP Twitter machine
Why is a strange network of Twitter accounts, usually the source of pro-Russian messages, now pumping out tweets about a very specific British election? READ MORE
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-39030215
|
Lewis Hamilton believes new Formula 1 cars will be a 'massive challenge' - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton says he believes the new faster Formula 1 cars this year will be a "massive challenge".
| null |
Lewis Hamilton says he believes the new faster Formula 1 cars this year will be a "massive challenge".
The Mercedes driver said he had trained hard but had no idea whether he was fit enough for cars which could be four seconds a lap faster than 2016.
"I don't know if I'll be easily fit enough, or will struggle a bit or be super-underneath and need to work harder," the 32-year-old said.
While confident, he said he did not know if Mercedes would remain in front.
The three-time world champion, in an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 5 live, added that he:
• None was over losing the title to team-mate Nico Rosberg last year
• None looked forward to the challenge of his
• None was concerned some aspects of the new rules might not work
• None believed Red Bull's form was the one to watch before the start of pre-season testing
• None hoped new F1 owners Liberty Media would implement changes to make the sport more exciting
Listen - 'I'm very happy to have Lewis as my team-mate'
Hamilton lost the world title last year at least partly because he had worse reliability than Rosberg.
But asked how much that hurt, he said: "Nowhere near as much as you think. It doesn't change my life. You just move onwards and hopefully upwards."
Hamilton said it would be "strange" not having Rosberg in the team following the German's decision to retire last season but added: "I have rivalry with everyone so it doesn't really matter who it is against."
Of his new Finnish team-mate, who joins from Williams, Hamilton said: "I have known him a little bit from being at the track and he seems a really nice, pleasant guy and I look forward to working with him and racing against him. I always welcome challenges and competition."
Botta, 27, added: "I've always wanted to be partnering a team-mate who is very good and Lewis obviously is.
"At the same time for me it's also a big challenge. I'm still much less experienced than him but I almost see that is a positive thing and a good thing.
"I'm just very happy to see Lewis as my team-mate and I see no reason why we couldn't be a good pair of team mates and race hard on track."
New rules could make it 'harder to overtake'
F1 has introduced new rules this year that have changed the look of the cars and made them much faster.
Swept back front wings, lower and wider rear wings, bigger tyres and a larger floor area should add up to at least a 30% increase in downforce and vastly faster cornering speeds and forces.
In addition, Pirelli has been told to produce tyres on which drivers can push hard throughout a grand prix, rather than having to nurse them by driving a second or more off the pace to prevent them overheating.
But Hamilton said he had concerns about whether the new rules would improve F1.
"My engineers say it's going to be a lot harder to overtake," Hamilton said. "If we see overtaking is worse, it's going to be worse for the fans, the spectacle will be worse so I'm hoping that's not the case.
"For example, I heard tyres might not be as grippy as we'd hoped but the aero downforce is going to be huge because it's a bigger, wider car so there's going to be more downforce, so the car behind will be affected even more than it ever was before.
"And I've heard the engineers said this would potentially happen and there is an alternative route but this is the route that's chosen.
"So we are where we are and I really hope that the engineers, who are the smartest guys, are wrong and I hope that the spectacle is greater and the most competitive that it's ever been and if it is, then I look forward to being part of that."
'I hope we'll be fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari'
Hamilton said expecting Mercedes to dominate this year in the manner of the past three seasons was "just jumping to the easy conclusion".
He added: "It's a completely new slate. It might be Ferrari at the front, it might be Red Bull, we have no idea.
"I think the big unknown is Red Bull, I think they always create an amazing car and this is a new area of downforce and they're amazing at creating downforce so I think it'll be really interesting to see what they pull out and I'm hoping it'll be a real mixture of competition.
"I hope it'll be close so we'll be fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari. That's what the fans want to see."
F1 'has a lot of catching up to do'
US group Liberty Media completed its takeover of F1's commercial arm last month, removed Bernie Ecclestone as chief executive, and is formulating plans for the future.
Hamilton said: "I'm excited for the new owners who have come in and I hope they do something new and I really think they're going to bring new blood, new ideas, new ways of engaging the fans in a new and unique way.
"F1 is a bit outdated in the sense that if you look at other sports they're further ahead in the entertainment factor but F1 is catching up and I think there's a lot of catching up to do."
He said he believed Liberty should ask the fans for their opinions.
"The first step would be to see what the fans feel they're lacking, what they feel they would want more of," he said. "I think you'd get a good balance of opinions of people who have been to a grand prix. You'd get a lot of opinions but, a bit like our government, it might go the wrong way."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39054748
|
'Red alert' as Chile wildfires blaze - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Dozens of houses and almost 3,500 hectares of forest are destroyed by fires which continue to burn in Chile.
| null |
Dozens of houses and almost 3,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed by fires which continue to burn in Chile.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-39056230
|
Brit Awards 2017: Ceremony highlights - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Little Mix, Emeli Sande and Rag 'N' Bone Man on winning Brit Awards.
| null |
This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39059583
|
Trafficking victim: 'I was raped and blindfolded underground' - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
'Anna' was trafficked from Albania into the UK last year by someone pretending to be her boyfriend.
| null |
'Anna' was trafficked from Albania into the UK last year by someone pretending to be her boyfriend.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39046337
|
Women missing out on workplace pensions, says charity - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
As many as 72,000 women fail to qualify for a workplace pension, as they have more than one employer.
|
Business
|
Tens of thousands of women are missing out on workplace pensions as a result of having more than one job, according to Citizens Advice.
To qualify for an auto-enrolment pension, workers have to earn at least £10,000 a year.
But more than 100,000 people - most of them women - do not reach that threshold, because they work for several employers.
The government said that it is planning to review the issue later this year.
A separate study shows that women still receive far smaller pensions than men.
According to the insurance company Zurich, the average woman will have £47,000 less in her pension pot than a man by the time she retires.
Citizens Advice said that 72,000 women were missing out on auto-enrolment pensions, which require employers to pay a pension automatically, unless a worker deliberately opts out.
The charity said too many people were being shut out of the opportunity to be paid a pension.
"Many people - particularly women - work several part time jobs, which helps them manage commitments like childcare or study," said Gillian Guy, the chief executive of Citizens Advice.
"But while in many cases they earn over £10,000, and pay tax on this combined income, they don't have access to a workplace pension and miss out on the opportunity to save for their retirement."
The government said in December that it would examine the issue of workers with multiple jobs when it reviews the auto-enrolment programme later this year.
"There's more to do - especially for people with more than one job - and we're currently reviewing the policy to see how it can be improved," a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said.
The Zurich analysis found that between 2013 and 2016 men received 7.8% of their salary in pension contributions on average, compared to women receiving 7%.
It said men tend to work in sectors with more established or generous pension schemes.
In addition, women are more likely to take career breaks.
"This difference in the contributions that they receive from their employer presents a serious - and growing - problem," said Rose St Louis, Zurich's head of partnership development.
"The triple effect of smaller salaries, career breaks for women and lower contribution rates needs to be addressed: we can't ignore a £47,000 shortfall," she said.
• None Learn about Zurich Insurance - About us - Zurich Insurance The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39040132
|
Owen Farrell on Jonny Wilkinson's advice and winning his 50th England cap - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Owen Farrell hails the "massive understanding" of England coaching consultant Jonny Wilkinson as he prepares to win his 50th Test cap.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
Owen Farrell has hailed the "brilliant and constant" guidance from retired World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson as he prepares to win his 50th England cap.
Former fly-half Wilkinson, 37, has been a consultant on Eddie Jones' coaching staff over the past year.
Farrell, 25, told Radio 5 live: "It's brilliant working with him, he has a massive understanding of everything we are going through as players."
England host Italy on Sunday in the Six Nations seeking a 17th straight win.
And Farrell said he has no doubt he has benefited from working with Wilkinson, who is England's record points scorer with 1,179, more than double the total of second-placed Farrell.
"You can speak to him whenever. [The advice] is pretty constant. [I've learned] quite a bit, as you would imagine," he said.
Farrell broke into the Saracens first team as a teenager in 2008, the same year current England forwards coach Steve Borthwick joined the club.
Borthwick said he knew straight away Farrell's competitive nature meant he was destined for greatness.
"As soon as I met him and saw him around the club as a youngster, with the competitive desire he had then and still has now, he was always going to have a great future in the game," said Borthwick.
"The work he has put in over the years to get to the player he is now is fantastic, and shows the character of the guy. All the respect and accolades he gets are richly deserved."
Farrell admitted he has been a driven character for as long as he can remember, following in the steps of his father Andy, himself a dual-code rugby international and now Ireland's defence coach.
"My dad never let me win at anything. That was probably more to do with it," Farrell said.
"I was always competitive. Probably too competitive at times when I was younger. I've always been that way inclined."
Since making his debut under Stuart Lancaster in the Six Nations in 2012, Farrell has scored 562 points in an England shirt, and has assumed the role of vice-captain under skipper Dylan Hartley.
Over the course of 2016 Farrell overtook both Rob Andrew and Paul Grayson in the list of England all-time points scorers, but the 25-year-old said he is not motivated by personal records.
"I am not really too aware of them, it's only when things come around that people tend to talk about them," he added.
Farrell said he has learned from difficult times in his career, and believes he is a much improved player since he made his debut.
"You like to think you have improved in most areas, and learned from experience," he said.
"Hopefully from the start of my career to where I am now, I am miles away."
• None Listen to the latest Six Nations news on BBC Radio 5 live between 21:00 and 22: 00 GMT on Thursday.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39056466
|
Manchester City 5-3 Monaco - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Man City twice come from behind to beat Monaco in a thrilling Champions League last 16 first-leg tie at the Etihad Stadium.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Manchester City came from behind twice to secure a crucial two-goal advantage after a classic Champions League last-16 tie against Monaco at Etihad Stadium.
On a night of fluctuating fortunes and thrilling football, Pep Guardiola's side were on the precipice in this tournament before dragging themselves back to ensure they go into the return in Monaco with a priceless lead.
Raheem Sterling gave Manchester City a 26th-minute advantage after fine work by Leroy Sane but Monaco proved their threat to lead before half-time through Radamel Falcao's header and Kylian Mbappe's powerful rising drive.
Falcao then saw a penalty saved by Willy Caballero just after the break before Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic's blunder gave Sergio Aguero his first goal.
Colombian Falcao, back to his best after failed loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea, then lifted a brilliant chip over Caballero to put Monaco back in front - but this was the signal for City to launch an enthralling attacking salvo.
Aguero - who felt he was denied a first-half penalty after he tumbled under a challenge from Subasic - volleyed in another equaliser before John Stones made amends for poor defending in the build-up to Falcao's second by putting City ahead on the night with a sliding finish at the far post after 77 minutes.
Man of the match Sane handed City that two-goal cushion with a simple tap-in from Aguero's pass eight minutes from time - but Monaco's vibrant attacking ambition means this tie is far from over.
Aguero's Manchester City future has been the subject of debate with recent arrival Gabriel Jesus appearing to find greater favour with manager Guardiola - but how can they seriously consider life without this world-class striker?
City may have been rattling at the back but Aguero was in magnificent form throughout, terrorising Monaco with his prodigious work-rate and sheer menace.
Aguero was denied a penalty in the first half when he was booked for diving after he was upended by Monaco keeper Subasic but he was not to be denied and was a key component of City's enthralling fightback.
He enjoyed some deserved good fortune when his shot went straight through Subasic for his first goal but he delivered a sumptuous right-foot volley to make it 3-3 and then set up Sane for the crucial fifth goal that gave City that two-goal advantage.
Aguero was substituted to a standing ovation and a kiss on top of the head from his manager with four minutes left - this was the night he delivered proof, as if it were needed, that he is the man City and Guardiola cannot do without.
Falcao looked a lost soul in two seasons on loan from Monaco to Manchester United and Chelsea - but this was a master striker back to his best.
The Colombian marred his display with a horribly hesitant penalty that was saved by Caballero and would have put Monaco 3-1 up, but there was so much about his and the visitors' display to admire.
Falcao looked nothing like the demoralised figure who made 26 league appearances for United, scoring only four goals, and who got one goal in 10 league games for Chelsea.
He pounced like the poacher supreme to head his first but his second was a work of the striker's art, dismissing Stones from his presence before having the composure and class to deliver a lofted finish that left Caballero helpless.
And in those moments, he and Monaco delivered the message to Manchester City that this tie is not over. Monaco looked a side packed with threat and goals and they will still feel they can claw this back.
Mbappe has the sleek elegance of a young Thierry Henry while Bernardo Silva is a player of the highest quality. Monaco still represent a danger.
Manchester City deservedly celebrated at the final whistle, the moment of triumph after a demonstration of resilience and attacking verve that brought a memorable win.
Guardiola, however, will not be fooled - and his agitated body language was a giveaway when it came to their defensive frailties.
Caballero helped Monaco equalise with poor distribution and Mbappe's second was the result of routine long ball. Stones was too weak in the physical exchanges with Falcao for Monaco's third.
And throughout, Nicolas Otamendi cut a nervous, uncertain figure whose weaknesses were probed relentlessly by Monaco.
Manchester City are in the driving seat - but they will need to make sure the back doors are firmly locked in the return leg in Monaco.
What they said
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "I am so happy for the result, we are still alive. These kind of things help this club to achieve another step. We attacked in small spaces. That's why they wanted me to come here. Everybody has to be congratulated.
"We are going to fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible. If we don't score in Monaco we will be eliminated."
Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim: "It was perhaps one of the most exciting games of this year's Champions League. A great game of football.
"The key to the game was the missed penalty to make it 3-1 but there's 90 minutes with us. Nothing is finished."
• None Manchester City scored five goals in a Champions League game for just the second time (the other was 5-2 v CSKA Moscow in 2013, excluding qualifiers).
• None This game is the first time eight goals have been scored in the first leg of a Champions League knockout game.
• None Raheem Sterling has had a hand in 10 goals in his past nine Champions League starts (five goals, five assists).
• None Kylian Mbappe is the second youngest French scorer in the Champions League, following Karim Benzema (17 years 352 days) who scored for Lyon against Rosenborg in December 2005.
• None Falcao scored as many goals at the Etihad (two) as he managed in 15 appearances at Old Trafford for Manchester United.
• None Fabinho assisted more goals (two) than he had in his previous 15 appearances in the Champions League (one).
• None Sergio Aguero's first goal was Manchester City's 200th European goal (203 at the end of this game). He has scored five goals in his last three Champions League games at the Etihad.
• None Manchester City have saved each of their past five penalties in the Champions League (two from Caballero, three from Joe Hart).
• None Monaco are the highest scorers in the top five European leagues this season in all competitions with 111 goals.
• None There were 10 yellow cards handed out - the most in a Champions League game this season.
Manchester City are not in action this weekend because Manchester United's involvement in the EFL Cup final has led to the Manchester derby being postponed, so the Blues' next game is an FA Cup fifth-round replay with Huddersfield at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, 1 March.
Monaco, meanwhile, travel to Guingamp on Saturday looking strengthen their place at the top of Ligue 1.
• None Attempt blocked. Fabinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt saved. Falcao (Monaco) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Benjamin Mendy. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39030973
|
7 moments to watch for at the Brits 2017 - BBC Music
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Glitz, glamour, oddballs and glitterballs: The Brits are back.
| null |
Glitz, glamour, oddballs and glitterballs: The Brits are back. The annual music awards take place on Wednesday 22 February, live from the O2 Arena – and BBC Music will be there, bringing you all the gossip from the red carpet and backstage. You can follow the action on Music News LIVE from 15:00. In the meantime, here are some of the big themes and talking points to get you prepared...
1. Will it be the year of grime?
Skepta performs on Later... with Jools Holland
There were calls for a Brits boycott last year, after black artists were omitted from every category (except the international ones). In response, organisers overhauled the voting system, improving the representation of both women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds amongst the judges. Perhaps as a consequence, all but one of the best British male nominees this year is from a BAME background: with Kano, Skepta, Michael Kiwanuka and Craig David pitted against David Bowie. "This is a dream come true and the increase in diversity is a great thing,” Kiwanuka told BBC News – but Craig David said he wasn’t expecting to win. “David Bowie’s career has been so epic,” he said. “He influenced me and so many other artists. There's no competition." With grime entering its imperial phase, it would be remiss of the Brits not to recognise the genre. The best chance for a win comes in the best breakthrough category, where Skepta and Stormzy lead the field.
Sometimes in life, you just have to put a goldfish in a handbag. Or at least that’s what Clean Bandit’s Grace Chatto thought the first time she attended the Brits. And who can blame her? If you’re not at the top of the celebrity tree, “going weird” is a sure-fire way to make it into the papers the next day. This year’s red carpet walkers have some heavy competition from history. Here are some of our favourite outfits from years gone by.
Labrinth turned up last year looking like a human Magic Eye picture; Lady Gaga chose “nightmare ballerina” as the theme for her 2010 outfit; and Jess Glynne helpfully let us know her favourite Quality Street is the Green Triangle.
Girls Aloud made it to the 2005 Brit Awards after surviving an explosion in a Kleenex factory.
And JLS were forced to choose their clothes blindfold in a jumble sale before attending the 2010 ceremony.
With 17 nominations and zero wins, Radiohead are the unluckiest band ever at the Brits. They were first nominated in 1994, when Creep was up for best single, losing out to Take That’s Pray. Since then, landmark albums like The Bends, OK Computer and In Rainbows have all been overlooked; while Robbie Williams has hogged 18 trophies. Eighteen! So, could this finally be Radiohead’s year? The best group category isn’t the strongest, which plays in their favour, but two of the nominees out-performed Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool. That would be Little Mix, whose Glory Days was the seventh best-selling album of 2016; and The 1975, who topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their breakthrough, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.
4. Will Katy Perry throw up again?
Moments after Lionel Richie handed over 2009’s best international female award, Katy Perry ran backstage and threw up in a bucket. Not because she was overwhelmed or nervous - but because she was really, really poorly. "I'm so sick right now," she croaked in her acceptance speech. "But they said I should show up to the Brits because something special might happen. "Thank you to everyone at my record label. Obviously, I've worked pretty hard because I want to die right now." Katy’s back this year to give one of the night’s biggest performances. Let's hope she holds down her lunch.
5. What will people do with their trophies?
Zaha Hadid’s bendy Brits statue is sure to draw some comments from the winners.
Ever since Adele brought the nation to a standstill with her performance of Someone Like You at the 2011 Brit Awards, the ceremony has been one big blubfest. While we used to get Geri Halliwell emerging from a giant pair of Styrofoam legs; or Justin Timberlake (consensually) groping Kylie Minogue, these days everyone wants to stand in a solitary spotlight, emoting their lungs out. Thankfully, this year’s performers are known for their bangers – Skepta, Little Mix, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars should keep the tempo above “induced coma” (although Bruno has set alarm bells ringing with his performance of the boudoir ballad That’s What I Like at last week’s Grammys). That means Ed Sheeran is the most likely candidate. His release, How Would You Feel (Paean) is a swoonsome love song cut from the same cloth as Thinking Out Loud, and set to chart at No.1 this Friday. We’re hoping he does Shape Of You instead.
7. Could it be Rag N’ Bone Man’s big night?
It might be Rag N’ Bone Man’s first ever Brit Awards but he’s already a winner. Back in December, the singer bagged the Critics’ Choice award – which tips a new artist for success - joining the ranks of Adele, Sam Smith and Florence + The Machine. But for the first time ever, a Critics’ Choice winner is also up for Best Breakthrough Artist. The man born Rory Graham faces strong competition in that category from Skepta and Stormzy - but if he wins, he could go home with the biggest haul of the night. Only two artists are up for more awards – Little Mix have three, but will struggle in the best group category; while Skepta, as we mentioned earlier, is unlikely to win best male over David Bowie. Find out if we’re right on BBC Music News LIVE (and Radio 1 and Radio 2).
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/15d753be-7502-4ebe-88d0-3281e4a841d2
|
Seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting single star - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Seven planets orbiting a single star have been discovered in a solar system 40 light-years from Earth.
| null |
Seven planets have been discovered in a solar system 40 light-years from Earth.
The researchers say that all seven could potentially support liquid water on the surface, depending on the other properties of those planets.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39056228
|
Adam Lallana: Liverpool midfielder extends contract until 2020 - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana extends his contract with the club until 2020, with the option of a further year.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has extended his contract until 2020.
Lallana, 28, joined Liverpool from Southampton for £25m in July 2014 and has scored 16 goals in 80 Premier League appearances.
The deal, worth a reported £110,000 a week, is effective from the summer and has the option of a further year.
"I'm very proud and feel quite humbled by the show of faith from the club and the manager in particular," Lallana told Liverpool's website.
"This is a really good place to be at the moment and, for a player who wants to be part of something special, I can't think of a better club to commit your future to."
Forward Philippe Coutinho signed a five-year contract in January worth about £150,000 a week, making him the highest-paid player at the club.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39052392
|
Sergio Aguero: Man City striker proves he is priceless against Monaco - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
Striker Sergio Aguero demonstrated why he is fit to play his part in Pep Guardiola's side after scoring in Manchester City's 5-3 win over Monaco.
| null |
Manchester City's heady mix of fantasy football and flawed defending was on display for all to see in the thrilling Champions League victory over Monaco at Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's side were irresistible going forward and an open door at the back as they secured a 5-3 first-leg win in the last 16, the highest-scoring game at this stage of the tournament's 25-year history.
City's performance still leaves them with questions to answer when they confront this gifted Monaco side in the second leg on 15 March - but one fact remains without dispute in this Guardiola era...
Leroy Sane was the stand-out performer in one of the finest matches seen at Etihad Stadium - but the cutting edge was provided by 28-year-old Argentine Sergio Aguero, whose future has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
The spectacular and instant impact of Brazilian teenager Gabriel Jesus saw Aguero left on the bench for the Premier League victories against West Ham, Swansea City and Bournemouth.
It is on nights like this, however, where Aguero demonstrated that the idea City would somehow be better off without him is a nonsense.
Jesus, at just 19, and 21-year-old Sane, represent a golden future for Manchester City along with Raheem Sterling at 22, but Aguero looks like a player in his prime and fit to play his part - not just now but in the years ahead.
Aguero has no point to prove, his record speaks eloquently enough, but he has accumulated a reputation and body of work that makes the finest defenders fear his threat. And at the elite level of the Champions League, that is a priceless commodity.
It was a match that was arguably the most enthralling seen here since Aguero's 94th-minute winner in May 2012 which secured City their first title in 44 years. And the striker showed he still retains all the old powers.
Aguero and his City colleagues had to contend with a blaze of attacking intent from Monaco, but in between the youthful zest of Sane and Sterling, he was the spearhead and the creator.
He was rewarded for trying his luck with his first goal that prompted a dreadful error from Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic. He scored his second with a crisp, instinctive right-foot volley and then set up the fifth for Sane, the goal that gave City a cushion. It was the complete, consummate attacking performance.
Aguero also has a psychological impact on opponents and it gives Guardiola and City a powerful weapon. His first goal was City's 200th in the Champions League and he has now scored five in his past three games at Etihad Stadium in this competition.
Yes, his recent goalscoring form has not been of his usual standard but he is the epitome of the phrase "class is permanent".
One of the modern game's great strikers Aguero has scored 20 goals in 29 appearances this season, with 11 in 19 Premier League games The Argentine has scored a total of 156 goals in 237 games for Man City He has scored 91 goals at Etihad Stadium in 116 games at a rate of a goal in 94.84 minutes, 0.78 goals per game He has 64 in 116 games away from home and one goal in five games on neutral territory
The Catalan's decision to shunt the popular goalkeeper Joe Hart out to Torino on loan was taken on the chin by supporters who idolised him. Any similar fate for Aguero would not meet such easy acceptance.
The manager's embrace and kiss on Aguero's forehead when he left the action late on Tuesday evening was surely a gesture of appreciation that should end the speculation - although this latest masterclass must have done that anyway.
And the bottom line is this.
How much would it cost City to even think about replacing Aguero? A lot more than the £38m it cost them to bring him in from Atletico Madrid in July 2011.
Amid the fanfare and celebration at the conclusion of a quite magnificent game of football, Manchester City were accompanied on their way to a warm weather break in Abu Dhabi by notes of caution.
Yes, they have a crucial two-goal cushion, which Guardiola would have taken gratefully before kick-off - but an examination of City's defending and Monaco's wonderful attacking pace, movement and threat tells you this may yet be a flimsy advantage.
Guardiola knows the score. Park the bus with this defence and Monaco will have that particular vehicle off the road and rolling away into the distance with ease.
This will not be City's way, as Guardiola said: "We will fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible. If we don't score in Monaco we will be eliminated."
Read that as code for saying 'City have got no chance of keeping a clean sheet'. This reality has been grasped by Guardiola - helped by the fact that Monaco are the highest scorers in the top five European leagues with 111 goals in all competitions.
He said: "If one team can score a thousand million goals it's Monaco. They arrive with six or seven players in the box and it's tough to control that on the counter attack."
And if there is a team that is vulnerable to such a threat it is City.
Guardiola's decision to play Fernandinho at left-back and leave Yaya Toure isolated was flawed - can he really repeat such a tactic in Monaco?
Guardiola was, at times, frantic in his technical area. One cry of anguish as possession was conceded in a dangerous area was so pained it was plainly audible at the back of the lower tier of the stand behind him.
Goalkeeper Willy Caballero's poor distribution led to Radamel Falcao's headed equaliser, while brilliant teenager Kylian Mbappe's rasping finish for Monaco's second saw City's defence split by a routine long ball.
Falcao's second and Monaco's third was brilliantly executed but easily created as John Stones showed an alarming lack of strength and determination when challenging the Colombian.
Guardiola must find a way to eradicate these flaws and somehow make City a tougher proposition by 15 March or this dangerous, predatory, pacy Monaco side will make short work of a two-goal deficit.
And Manchester City's manager knows it.
Caballero, it can now be assumed, is Manchester City's first-choice goalkeeper. Claudio Bravo, Guardiola's chosen one when he was brought in for £17m from Barcelona last August, has been demoted.
Caballero was given the starting place on Tuesday after Bravo, who has earned a reputation as the shot-stopper who does not stop shots, was on FA Cup fifth round duty at Huddersfield.
The 35-year-old Argentine is surely only a sticking plaster solution for a bigger problem facing Guardiola, one he must address in the summer.
This means there is an element of muddling through some potentially vital games between now and May and Caballero delivered a decidedly mixed bag against Monaco.
The ability, or lack of, to play with the ball at his feet was among the factors that apparently did it for Hart and prompted the signing of Bravo.
It is a central plank of Guardiola's philosophy and one that cost City the first goal against Monaco. The manager's leaping, head-in-hands reaction was a sign he knew trouble - in the shape of Falcao's header - was coming from the moment Caballero sent out a poor clearance.
Caballero was only obeying orders but it was clear on several occasions he is not comfortable with them.
He redeemed himself with a save from Falcao's penalty; the striker hesitating so long over the spot-kick he almost seemed to forget what he was supposed to do when he arrived at the ball.
Caballero also pulled off a vital stop with his feet from Falcao's late effort with City 5-3 up, an intervention which may prove invaluable in the context of the tie. He made a significant contribution.
There is no doubt, though, that the story of Manchester City's goalkeepers will provide a narrative between now and the end of the season.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39047987
|
Chancellor Hammond’s £10bn of green shoots - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Ahead of the Budget, the chancellor may have more money to play with than he thought. He’s likely to save it up for what the Treasury still believes could be a Brexit rainy day.
|
Business
|
Philip Hammond is not a man known for political surprises.
Spreadsheet Phil, as he probably doesn't like to be called, prefers to keep any rabbits that might be hopping around Whitehall stuffed deep in the Treasury's public spending hat.
So, anyone thinking that today's better news on the state of government's finances will lead to any Budget largesse is likely to be disappointed.
The public sector net borrowing numbers showed a surplus in January, a month when the government receives a significant proportion of its tax receipts.
With those receipts higher than expected and economic growth stronger than expected, the government earned more than it spent to the tune of £9.4bn.
Taking a year to date comparison, these are the best borrowing numbers the government has achieved since the financial crisis.
A little bit of that roof has been fixed, and the sun is still shining.
Mr Hammond is now likely to undershoot his end of year deficit target by £10bn, borrowing less over the year, around £60bn, than the Office for Budget Responsibility expected last autumn.
Though it should be remembered that target was significantly loosened following the referendum result.
On the surface, a £10bn undershoot may appear good news, and is likely to lead to calls that the Treasury could loosen the public spending purse strings.
The chancellor could spread a bit of salve on that toxic issue of the day - business rate increases due in April which are leaving some firms with significantly higher bills - and still hit his deficit target.
Business rate relief could be made more generous and transition periods extended so that any abrupt increases are put on a smoother trajectory.
Which might be good politically.
And Mr Hammond could offer something for the National Health Service and social care.
Which might also be good politically.
But, Mr Hammond does not want to be a "political chancellor" in the style of one George Osborne, moving rapidly to plug political holes with Treasury gold.
Those close to him are making clear, there may be some minor tweaks but there will not be major changes of direction on Budget day on 8 March.
Brexit is still, in the Treasury's mind, a risk to the economy that looms large and any buffers built up now are likely to be kept back for future rainy days - if they come - rather than be spent now.
And January's strong numbers have been flattered by the recent sale of government shares in Lloyds Bank and the fact that self-assessment receipts from individual tax returns have come in earlier this year compared to last.
The chancellor has set himself two tasks ahead of the next general election.
Prove that the Treasury is the nation's cautious chief financial officer, focused on "balancing the books" and reducing the deficit (the amount the government spends over the amount it earns) to zero.
And second, reboot the economy by improving private sector growth with a focus on productivity and infrastructure spending.
In Mr Hammond's mind, one month's good figures do not change that sober to-do list.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39041086
|
Ohio policeman helps girl, 10, with maths homework - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Brave Lt BJ Gruber, of Marion, Ohio, offered up his help without realising the subject was maths.
|
US & Canada
|
Lt BJ Gruber (right) went above and beyond the call of duty when he answered this appeal for help (left) from Lena Draper, 10
Every child knows when you are in trouble, you call the cops.
But it is fair to say, no police officer expects that trouble to be related to the complexities of a 10-year-old's maths homework.
Yet when faced with just such an issue, one brave officer in Marion, Ohio, stepped up to the mark.
Lena Draper decided to use Facebook to get in touch with her local police force, sending them an appeal for help at the weekend.
"I am having trouble with my homework. Could you help me?" she asked.
"What's up?" asked officer BJ Gruber, who told the BBC he was hoping "for something in the realm of history".
Unfortunately for him it was maths, with the added complication of a few brackets.
Undeterred, Lt Gruber threw himself into the challenge.
Unfortunately, Lt Gruber's second answer was less correct
"I felt pretty confident with my answers on both questions and perhaps that worked against me with the second equation," Lt Gruber admitted.
Indeed, more than a few people have pointed out the answer he gave to the second, more complicated question, was incorrect - but the Police Department in Marion, Ohio, are still seeing the episode as a win.
"We are nailing our goals of increasing trust, transparency & being approachable. Still a work in product on the math skills," the force wrote on its Twitter page after Lena's mum Molly uploaded screenshots of the conversation to Facebook.
The post has now been liked more than 2,300 times.
"We really hope that are are not flooded with homework requests... so far, so good," Lt Gruber said.
"We really see this not different that a child walking up to an officer on the street and asking for help. This is just a 21st Century version of that interaction. We do however encourage kids to communicate with parents, teachers, siblings and fellow students before asking us."
As for Lena, she knows she can't always rely on the police to help her with her homework. But she does have a backup plan.
"Well, I'd call Ghostbusters then," she told Inside Edition.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39045906
|
Donald Trump's golf hobby under scrutiny with Clinton tweet - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Donald Trump, a frequent critic of Barack Obama's time on the links, is now himself under scrutiny.
|
US & Canada
|
President Trump (pictured here with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the left) has made visits to his Florida golf courses a weekend habit during his first month in office
A Hillary Clinton retweet has drawn attention to President Donald Trump's golf outings, which critics are hoping to turn into a political handicap.
The former Democratic White House candidate shared a graph suggesting her former rival spent 25 hours on the links during his first month in office.
Mr Trump made his sixth trip to the golf course on Sunday, joined by professional golfer Rory McIlroy.
The Republican was a frequent critic of Barack Obama's fairway excursions.
According to an analysis of Washington Post pool reports that was retweeted by Mrs Clinton, the president has dedicated 21 hours to foreign relations, 13 hours to tweeting and six hours to intelligence briefings in his first weeks.
What do you do when your life's goal, a dream that was nearly realised, slips away in a flash? That's the question Hillary Clinton has faced since Donald Trump smashed her presidential hopes last November.
In the ensuing days, the former secretary of state has taken long walks in New York woods with her husband, Bill. She's given a few speeches and caught some shows on Broadway, where she's always warmly received. And she's tweeted.
Haltingly, at first. A few Thanksgiving messages here, a get-well note to George HW Bush there. She stood firmly on uncontroversial ground.
Now, however, her voice is sharpening. She celebrates the anti-Trump protests that have swept across the country. She's poked fun at the president and taken more pointed shots at his policies and positions. As the president has stumbled, she's tiptoeing closer and closer to the land of "I told you so".
What's next for a woman in her life's third or fourth act? Rumours of a run for New York swirled then receded. When the presidential prize was so close, will anything else bring satisfaction?
Given that the Clintons have been in the national spotlight for decades, a quiet exit seems increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump joined Rory McIlroy, one of the world's highest ranked golfers, at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday.
The Irishman later told a golf blog he had played a full 18 holes with the president, as well as the chief executive of Clear Sports and former New York Yankee Paul O'Neill.
She said Mr Trump had only "played a couple of holes" on Saturday, as well as Sunday.
When pressed about McIlroy's comments on Monday, she said Mr Trump had "intended to play a few holes and decided to play longer".
The White House has otherwise declined to say who plays with Mr Trump, drawing backlash from US media over how much time he spends on the green.
But the president's golf hobby also recalls his repeated criticism of President Obama.
Mr Trump regularly accused Mr Obama of spending too much time golfing before and throughout his presidential campaign.
President Trump (2nd left) with Rory McIlroy (2nd right) on Sunday
"Can you believe that, with all the problems and difficulties facing the US, President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter," he tweeted in October 2014.
Ten days later, he tweeted: "President Obama has a major meeting on the NYC Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf!"
Mr Trump also said he would be too busy to swing at a tee if elected.
"I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf," he said last August.
But he later softened his tone toward the game, which he said could be used as a tool of diplomacy.
President Barack Obama (R) lines up a putt as British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) looks on near Watford in Hertfordshire, England, in April 2016
"I don't think you should play very much," he told the Golf Channel in July.
"But if you're going to play, you should use it to your advantage, and the country's advantage."
Earlier this month, the president hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and played a full round with the foreign leader as well as professional golfer Ernie Els.
However, his foursome on Sunday did not include any political types.
Former Presidents George W Bush and his father, George HW Bush, were also criticised for their golf outings, at the outsets of the first and second Iraq wars.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39054971
|
NHS 'rapped' over leaks of A&E data - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The health service is advised to publish performance data more quickly.
|
Health
|
Pressures have been building on the NHS this winter
NHS leaders in England have been asked by the statistics watchdog to rethink current policies that delay publishing official data on accident and emergency waiting times.
This follows two separate leaks to BBC News of A&E data for January, which suggested the worst performance by hospitals since records began.
NHS England and the regulator NHS Improvement have been told by the UK Statistics Authority to review the practice of publishing the data six weeks after collecting it.
Their leaders have been asked to "to determine how you could reduce the time lag in publication".
The call for a review comes in a letter from Ed Humpherson, director general for regulation at the authority, to those who chair the organisations.
The two leaks of A&E statistics to BBC News came from management information collected by NHS Improvement.
The second leak - relating to the full month of January - suggested that from a total of more than 1.4 million attendances at A&E:
At the time the leaked data, obtained by BBC reporter Faye Kirkland, was dismissed as incomplete by NHS sources.
Mr Humpherson described the leaks of management information as "a disorderly release of data", which had created "a confused picture".
But, in what amounts to a rap over the knuckles, he goes on to urge the NHS organisations to "undertake the appropriate reviews of how this management information is used and shared".
Embarrassingly for NHS leaders, the Statistics Authority chief criticises the publication policy for A&E attendance stats.
In the summer of 2015, NHS England announced it would stop publishing this data weekly and would shift to a monthly cycle to "standardise reporting arrangements" with other information such as cancer waiting times and ambulance response times.
This was criticised at the time as a reduction in timely information flow from hospitals, especially during winter months.
Mr Humpherson notes that the monthly publication policy creates a six-week lag for A&E data, which "leaves the system vulnerable to leaks because management information circulates around the NHS system for operational purposes well in advance of the publication of the statistics".
He has called on the NHS bodies to review the "timeliness" of the official performance data by the end of April and talks of the importance of "maintaining trust".
In effect, the statistics watchdog is saying that if the information is available to NHS managers in January, it should also be made available to the media and the public rather than held until March for publication.
It amounts to a warning to NHS England that leaks are inevitable under the current arrangements.
A spokesperson for NHS England said: "UKSA has approached the NHS following a leak of unvalidated NHS improvement material to the BBC ahead of its official publication, and NHS Improvement is now considering with other national bodies how best to ensure timely official publication while ensuring this doesn't happen again."
This will no doubt create headaches for NHS chiefs who have tried hard to justify the adoption of monthly rather than weekly data releases.
Their case was weakened when the Scottish government opted to move to a weekly A&E publication schedule just as NHS England was going in the opposite direction.
And the case has certainly been weakened even further by the UK Statistics Authority's intervention and what amounts to a clarion call for transparency.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39056969
|
British Cycling gave 'light-touch version of report' - UK Sport chief - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-22
| null |
British Cycling is accused by the chief executive of UK Sport of watering down the findings of an internal review in 2012.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Cycling
British Cycling has been accused of watering down the findings of an internal review in 2012 by the chief executive of UK Sport.
Liz Nicholl said the governing body "fed a very light-touch version" to the funding agency.
Former British Cycling chief executive Peter King took anonymous statements from 40 personnel as part of a report that was never made public.
"We were given to believe that... actually we had a very light-touch version of it fed to us at UK Sport, so we had no indication of the significance of that report.
"It's only now come to light."
Speaking to national newspapers, Nicholl confirmed she considered it to effectively be a cover-up, adding: "That's a complete lack of transparency and that's a relationship that is not acceptable in terms of what was shared with us as opposed to what the actual facts of that report were."
UK Sport have faced questions over why they did not act on a report that is known to include allegations of bullying.
Nicholls' incendiary comments come as the country's most successful and best-funded sports governing body braces itself for the publication of another report into alleged bullying, favouritism and sexism, led by British Rowing chair Annamarie Phelps.
Publication is expected in the next month.
Former British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake commissioned the King report in September 2012 but left the organisation in January, three months earlier than planned. He could not be reached for comment.
UCI president Brian Cookson, who was president of British Cycling when King delivered the report in December 2012, said he would not comment until the Phelps report was published.
UK Sport are currently considering whether to help fund Cookson's re-election campaign, having contributed £77,000 in 2013.
King told BBC Sport he was "disappointed" to hear Nicholl say she never saw his full report.
In a statement, British Cycling said: "Contributions were made with a guarantee of anonymity, so key findings and recommendations were shared in briefings with UK Sport and the British Cycling board.
"The full report was also made available to the 2016 independent review, jointly commissioned by UK Sport and British Cycling in April last year, of the world class programme."
The current Phelps inquiry was jointly commissioned by UK Sport and British Cycling following allegations of sexism and bullying made by rider Jess Varnish against former technical director Shane Sutton.
Varnish claimed the coach had used sexist and discriminatory language when dropping her from the Olympic programme, something he strongly denies.
In October, Sutton resigned and was found guilty of one charge of using inappropriate language by an internal review.
A number of other riders and former staff members have backed Varnish's portrayal of "a culture of fear" within British Cycling, including former road world champion Nicole Cooke, who told a parliamentary select committee that it was a sport "run by men, for men".
Former performance director Sir Dave Brailsford has insisted he ran a regime that was "not sexist but definitely medallist".
"All those views are being taken into account through the review," said Nicholl.
"It's fair to say that the high-performance system here is pretty male-dominated. There aren't very many female coaches and there's an opportunity to address that in future, and to get a better balance to support athletes in a way that athletes of today want to be supported.
"Athletes have moved on and maybe the programmes haven't moved on as fast as they should have done, but what we see is an opportunity."
'There's no excuse for not putting athletes first'
The legally sensitive nature of Phelps' report has meant it has been delayed, with fears it could be heavily redacted to protect witness confidentiality.
Those who gave evidence are now being asked how much of their testimony can be revealed, while those criticised have an opportunity to respond.
Publication could take another month, but on 1 March British Cycling will brief staff and riders on an "action plan" - effectively its response to the report and concerns over the way it operates.
This will include greater oversight of its high-performance programme, and more consideration of athlete welfare.
"There's no excuse for not addressing duty of care responsibilities to athletes," said Nicholls. "There's no excuse for not putting athletes first.
"They are are the ones who'll deliver the medals and every programme should be trying to ensure they have happy and successful athletes and there probably hasn't been enough attention in sport about how they do things.
"There's a lot of focus on operational delivery, probably not enough on leadership management and communication."
Nicholl told the BBC that she would be "clear about the actions that UK Sport and British Cycling need to take".
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39037374
|
London Fashion Week: The highlights - BBC News
|
2017-02-22
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A round-up of some of the weird and wonderful outfits to have come out of this season's London Fashion Week.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
You may remember Roland Mouret as the designer who came up with the famous Galaxy dress in 2005, which went on to be worn by the likes of Victoria Beckham and Cameron Diaz. He made a triumphant return to LFW to unveil his 20th anniversary collection - an homage to his design work so far.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38968872
|
Could taking up running help you get a new job? - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
A growing number of people are using running clubs and events as business networking opportunities.
|
Business
|
Renan Keraudran says it is easy to talk business while on a run
If you are looking to boost your career, perhaps all you need to do is put on a pair of trainers and start jogging.
Once considered a rather solitary pursuit, running has in recent years become an increasingly sociable affair.
Aided by social media allowing people to connect far more easily, an ever-growing number of running clubs and events are springing up around the world.
And as more people travel overseas for business, or move abroad, the sport is becoming a popular way for people to make new contacts around the planet, or even secure a new job.
"With running, a lot of people think it's something that's just about you and yourself, and that's it, but that's not actually the case," says Renan Keraudran.
The 28-year-old Frenchman works in marketing, and often travels overseas. When he is working abroad he joins up with a local running club, most recently the Canadian group East Laurier, which is based in Montreal.
"We had a run and a beer together, and they introduced me to some more people," says Mr Keraudran.
"You start talking about running, and then you start talking about business, and of course with some people you even get a true friendship."
Bridge The Gap is an informal global movement of likeminded runners
Mr Keraudran was speaking at a windswept beachfront bar in Barcelona, where more than 100 runners from across Europe were chatting over plates of steaming seafood paella the night before the city's recent 17,000-participant half marathon.
The dinner was organised by members of Bridge The Gap (BTG), an informal global movement that brings together urban running groups from around the world through parties and Instagram hashtags.
Founded in 2011 by New York club NYC Bridge Runners and London's Run Dem Crew, people who attend BTG events typically work in creative or lifestyle industries, such as music, media, fashion, or sport and fitness.
"It started out as a way to make people that thought running wasn't cool change their perspective, and get some balance in their lives," says Cedric Hernandez, co-captain of NYC Bridge Runners.
"We didn't know all this would happen, but we've even had marriages through the movement.
"We've had people putting each other up for free in their apartments all over the world, and on the business side we've had photographers get signed up, people have gotten digital work or video [commissions], or even jobs with corporate brands as ambassadors, where they get paid to travel to different cities."
While global estimates of recreational runners are hard to come by, it is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise in many countries.
In England almost seven million people now run at least twice a month, while the number of Americans participating in running events quadrupled between 1990 and 2013.
A growing number of people are participating in running events
Alongside the BTG movement, there are also more formal organisations co-ordinating events around the world, for a wide range of abilities.
Parkrun, which launched in a suburban London park in 2004, now hosts free 5km (three mile) runs on Saturday mornings in 15 countries, marshalled by volunteers.
Most major sports brands also organise free regular training sessions alongside competitive races. Nike's online running community, Nike+, has almost 17 million Facebook followers worldwide.
Samuel Hedberg, a programme director at Swedish training and business support firm Hyper Island, says that running "rallies people to come together" in an age when they are otherwise just chatting over social media.
"Running is a community that brings people together for real," he says.
He argues that while traditional business networking events can be elitist, such as business breakfasts or golf afternoons, running is far more down-to-earth and informal, and as a result can better facilitate a more open dialogue between potential new contacts, both at home and abroad.
"There is a sense of vulnerability when you run with someone," says Mr Hedberg. "You are put on equal levels, and you are out doing something together that doesn't have necessarily any status involved in it."
He adds that running also holds a special place in an age when growing numbers of people are going freelance and embracing the "gig economy", or becoming a digital nomad who works around the world.
"So I think that the trend is really supporting making new business connections over running, you just need a pair of shoes."
Stockholm-based Australian fitness entrepreneur Dan Paech is among those seeking to benefit financially from the large numbers of people looking to jog with likeminded people when they are working abroad.
Dan Paech is establishing running clubs in cities around the world
His business, Run With Me Stockholm, organises paid running tours for people visiting the Swedish capital.
"These days people want to do the activities they do at home when they are away," says Mr Paech, who adds that a large proportion of his customers are business travellers on tight schedules.
With a franchise now open in Singapore, and one on the way in Melbourne, Mr Paech hopes to create a global network.
Back at the pre-half marathon dinner in Barcelona, a Hamburg-based event planner is explaining how running friends are helping her to find new clients in Amsterdam, while a British man mulling a relocation to Berlin is working the room for useful contacts.
However, Renan Keraudran says there is much more to being a part of BTG or other running movements than just networking and keeping fit.
"People might think we're just a bunch of people showing off on social media," he says. "But we are a family."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39031081
|
Why some fear a shortage of immigrants - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Statistics suggesting a fall in UK net migration are likely to worry employers reliant on foreign labour.
|
UK
|
Britain's anxiety about immigration has long been that there is far too much of it. Concerns about the record number of foreign arrivals were a key factor in the vote for Brexit, and the national debate in Parliament and the press has tended to focus on who has got the best policies to reduce it as quickly as possible.
So one would think statistics suggesting a fall in net migration and a big drop on EU workers coming from the eight so-called accession countries (A8) like Poland would be a cause for rejoicing. Well, not entirely.
Nothing has changed at the UK Border since the Brexit vote - this isn't about Britain "taking control".
What has happened is that more than 100,000 EU citizens have left Britain - 17% more than in the previous year. And arrivals from the A8 countries have fallen sharply.
The number of new registered workers from Poland is down 16% year on year, Hungary is down 14%, Slovakia down 20% and Lithuania down 6%.
More workers have come from Romania and Bulgaria, up 11% and 8% respectively, but this may be because free movement from those countries came in much more recently.
Some may have packed their bags fearing the brief window allowing them access to Britain might soon close.
For most European nationals, though, uncertainty over the status of EU citizens in a post-Brexit Britain, and the sharp fall in the pound, has made the UK a much less attractive prospect.
Some British employers are very worried.
The growth of our hugely profitable tourism and hospitality sector, for instance, has relied upon importing foreign labour.
I recently went to York, where the tourist industry is booming. In that city alone it is now worth an astonishing £500m a year and supports more than 20,000 jobs.
But the expansion could not have happened without immigration. The city has close to full employment - there are estimated to be fewer than a thousand local job seekers.
The news of a fall in migrant workers from countries which have traditionally filled tourist jobs makes grim reading for York's hoteliers, restaurateurs and bar owners.
If the numbers continue to fall, some fear the worst.
"It would create a staffing crisis," says Graham Usher, who heads York's Hoteliers' Association. "If we get to the point where we can't fill vacancies with European workers then there's a big gap that we just can't fill."
What about using British workers? I ask.
"There just aren't enough of them around. York only has about 700 unemployed people and that is it."
A quarter of hospitality businesses across Britain say they currently have vacancies they are struggling to fill and the sector has been holding urgent talks with government officials on how to deal with the shortage of workers.
It is not just the tourism and hospitality sector, of course. Britain's record employment rate means there is often no immediate domestic alternative to migrant labour for many businesses looking to expand or simply survive.
Poskitt's Carrots is a £35m a year business in the East Riding of Yorkshire, supplying vegetables to many of Britain's big supermarkets.
In the shed where 50,000 tonnes of carrots are washed and packed, 80% of the staff are Eastern Europeans.
"If we didn't have access to non-UK labour we just could not run this business," says managing director Guy Poskitt. "I wouldn't even attempt to try and run it. Take away 80% of my workforce how can I operate?"
Guy Poskitt doesn't want to be reliant on migrant labour, but argues that there just aren't the domestic workers available from the rural communities nearby.
Some argue that Britain needs to rid itself of its addiction to cheap migrant labour, that employers should do more to train and recruit home-grown workers.
Many sectors are now thinking how they might adapt to Britain becoming a lower immigration economy.
Health ministers hope that universities will expand the number of training places for nurses in England to reduce the reliance on foreign staff.
The government recently lifted the cap on state-funded bursaries, but replaced them with student loans. Since the announcement, the number of applicants for nurse training in England has fallen 23%.
Britain's creative industries, which are worth more to the UK economy than the finance sector, are often collaborative ventures involving highly skilled but relatively low paid workers from around the world.
From ballet companies to computer gaming firms, there is concern that an inability to attract or employ foreign staff will damage their international standing and profitability.
The social care sector is also extremely concerned about the lack of suitable domestic staff to replace foreign workers who, in parts of the country make up the majority of employees.
Earlier this week the Brexit Secretary David Davies told an audience in Estonia that in sectors requiring low-skilled labour including hospitality, agriculture and social care "it will be years and years before we get British citizens to do those jobs".
"Don't expect just because we're changing who makes the decision on the policy, the door will suddenly shut: It won't," he said.
What the figures remind us, however, is that immigration works both ways.
We may not suddenly shut the door, but that doesn't mean foreigners will choose to walk through it.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39066609
|
David Haye v Tony Bellew: Hayemaker calls for physical separation ahead of O2 Arena fight - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
David Haye calls for a physical barrier to be placed between him and Tony Bellew in the build-up to their 4 March fight.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
David Haye has called for a physical barrier to be placed between him and heavyweight rival Tony Bellew before their London fight on 4 March.
The pair have traded insults before the O2 Arena bout and will be face-to-face at media commitments next week.
"There needs to be protection, a human being isn't enough," said Haye, 36. "Whatever it is, glass or whatever."
At a November news conference, Haye threw a punch at Bellew, who publicly called his opponent out in October.
Haye's attempted punch came almost five years after he brawled with Dereck Chisora at a news conference, and six years after Bellew, 34, had to be separated from Nathan Cleverly at another.
At another media gathering, Haye - who has conducted much of his training in Miami - repeatedly argued with Bellew's promoter Eddie Hearn.
"When tensions are high and when guys are scared they do crazy things," added former WBA heavyweight champion Haye.
"I'm going to make sure he is not in striking distance. I'd love to have confidence that he will keep his hands to himself but I don't have any confidence in him, in his mental state. Hopefully there will be some sort of precautions put in place."
During his in-ring verbal attack on Haye after victory over American BJ Flores in October, Bellew mocked his rival's hairstyle and ridiculed the two opponents Haye has faced since returning to the sport in 2016 after over three years out of the ring.
Bellew, the WBC world champion at cruiserweight, will campaign at heavyweight for the first time, completing a two-division jump after competing at light-heavyweight as recently as 2013.
He holds a record of 28 wins and a draw from 31 fights, with Haye boasting the same number of wins from 30 contests.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39060324
|
Wayne Rooney: Man Utd captain's agent in China to discuss potential move - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford is in China to see if he can negotiate a deal for the forward to leave Manchester United.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Man Utd
Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford is in China to see if he can negotiate a deal for the forward to leave Manchester United.
There are no guarantees of success and it is thought a deal remains highly unlikely before the Chinese transfer window closes on 28 February.
But the fact Stretford has travelled to China is a clear indication United boss Jose Mourinho would let Rooney, 31, go.
In a BBC Sport poll, 30% of voters think that Wayne Rooney's next move should be to move to China.
And if he does not leave this month it seems certain he will go in the summer.
Rooney has fallen down the pecking order at United under Mourinho.
The England captain has been made aware of interest in him from the Chinese Super League for some time, although it is not known which clubs Stretford has spoken to.
However, two of the three clubs who looked the most likely options for Rooney have ruled themselves out.
Beijing Guoan, believed to be the favourite team of Chinese President Xi, had been seen as one of the favourites to sign Rooney but sources close to the club have told BBC Sport they are not interested in signing him.
The England captain's representatives have already spoken to Tianjin Quanjian and their coach, Fabio Cannavaro, said talks did not progress, while sources close to Jiangsu Suning also dismissed speculation over a transfer.
On Tuesday, Mourinho said he did not know whether Rooney, who has only just returned to training after a hamstring injury, would still be at Old Trafford in a week's time.
It is not known whether this latest development will affect Rooney's chances of being involved in Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton.
They had appeared to have increased after Henrikh Mkhitaryan limped out of Wednesday's 1-0 Europa League win against Saint-Etienne.
If Rooney follows former team-mate Carlos Tevez to the Chinese Super League, it would almost certainly cost him any chance of making the seven appearances he needs to become England's most capped player.
Rooney's preference is understood to be to remain with United for the rest of his contract, which expires in 2019, but a lack of time on the pitch is forcing him to consider alternatives.
Rooney is United's record goalscorer and has won five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy since joining them as an 18-year-old for £27m from Everton in 2004.
The forward, who has started only three games since 17 December, has said he would not play for an English club other than United or Everton .
The big difference between Chinese Super League clubs' transfer process and their Premier League counterparts is the preparation.
English top-flight clubs have extensive scouting departments with links around the world. They identify players months in advance, watch many live games and base their decision on an extensive process.
In CSL, the process is more agent-led. Most of the clubs are approached with recommendations for a position they are recruiting in, rather than seeking out players themselves.
Foreign players coming in on large fees are commanding three-, four-, five-year deals, even at the end of their career. They have the upper hand in negotiations and wouldn't leave European football without long-term financial guarantees.
However, the Chinese government is concerned about capital leaving the country and it is difficult for these big transactions to exist while they are trying to crack down in other areas.
I think we will see a levelling out in fees. The £15m-£20m transfers will continue to happen for the next few years, but maybe we won't see the likes of the £60m deal that brought Oscar to China.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39054358
|
Smoke alarms fail to wake most children - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Researchers are trying to design new smoke alarm sound after it was discovered they fail to wake most children.
| null |
Researchers from Dundee University and Derbyshire Fire Service are looking for 500 families to try out a new smoke alarm sound aimed at children.
This follows their discovery that most children fail to wake up to standard smoke alarms.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39033679
|
The ex-trader turning disabilities into profits - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Why a former trader left Wall Street to target an overlooked market worth trillions globally.
|
Disability
|
Rich Donovan worked as a trader for 10 years on Wall Street
It's a fast-paced, risk-taking industry glamorised by Hollywood and writers alike, but when one Wall Street trader left the floor he identified a huge market being ignored by the business world.
Canada-based businessman Rich Donovan worked as a trader for Merrill Lynch for 10 years after he graduated from the prestigious Columbia Business School. It was competitive enough, but with cerebral palsy he felt he had more to prove.
"I was told to my face that I would never be a trader. They were wrong, but that's just the reality of having a disability. You figure out how to work around it."
He says he was asked at every job interview, "Can you physically do this job?" His answer was always the same: "I don't know, but we're going to find out."
Donovan was offered every job he went for and says there was "never a time that I hit a barrier, largely because I was 10 steps ahead of what I needed to be".
It is this attitude that has led him to identify a market worth $8 trillion (£6.4tn) and brimming with untapped talent: the disability market.
After he left the trading floor, Donovan set up the Return on Disability Group (ROD). The firm helps companies improve their products, customer experience and recruitment for disabled clients, as well as alerting investors to companies that target that market. Its slogan is "translate different into value".
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange
He estimates the market comprises about 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide, plus an additional 2.42 billion people once their friends and family are taken into account, which Donovan describes as "huge".
It seems hard to believe that such a market could be overlooked, but he says it has largely gone unseen because people look at it from the wrong angle.
The key, he says, is not to consider disability a niche market, but as an "emerging market" - and to challenge the conventional because "companies and governments have no clue how to convert that size into value".
Donovan says traditional government schemes to get more disabled people into work or bespoke products made for disabled people fail to properly utilise the market.
For that, you need to think beyond lunches and motivational talks and remember business is always about money.
"Most companies think they need to be perfectly ready to provide an 'accessible' space for disabled workers. The reality is disabled people know what they need to be successful. Companies only need to listen and adjust to those needs," he says.
Rich Donovan with his team from Return on Disability
"Quotas and equity laws do not cause hiring, it's the promise of future profits that does. Companies, by their very nature, act in their shareholders' best interests, doing what will grow revenue in the fastest way possible."
Therefore, Donovan says, companies should "attack the market" as they would any other.
"Find out the desires of disabled consumers as they relate to your profitable enterprise, adjust your product and messaging to attract their business then execute this in line with your company's process and culture."
Donovan believes mistakes are often made when companies try to "disable" their business or do just enough to comply with regulations.
Rich Donovan spoke to BBC Business Daily about the disability market from a studio in Toronto
Listen to Business Daily on the BBC World Service to hear about the daily drama of money and work from the BBC with a special programme for the Disability Works season.
"Disabled people don't want 'special' products," he says. "But they are hungry to be included in the mainstream consumer experience.
"Most companies today look at this as a government regulatory mandate; they're not looking at this as a profitability opportunity, they're not looking at this as an innovation opportunity to improve products for users.
"They're looking at this as a charity effort," he says.
Donovan believes the key to cracking this market is to flip the disabled consumer experience to ultimately benefit the mainstream audience.
"We've learnt that people with disabilities use things very harshly, they use them in extreme ways, and if you can learn how they use things and use that information it makes that core product better for everyone. That way the returns really take off."
The former trader says there is one company that already does this: Google.
Google has developed a self-driving car which turned conventional ideas on their head
"The core of what they do is innovation and in most of their products there is some disability component. It's at the very core of what they do.
"Look at the Google [self-driving] car - you can imagine the head engineer walking into his team and saying 'OK, build me a car that a blind guy can drive' and that's exactly what they did.
"They're very focused on leveraging disability to make the core product experience better for everyone."
Donovan says the disability market has only really existed within the past decade continues to develop.
"They're still grappling with what that looks like and that process historically takes a few years," he says. "You look back at women and race and it takes a little bit of time to adjust to that reality and disability has just started to do that."
But it is not just the disability market that Donovan's company has been tasked with growing.
His clients have also asked him to apply the same ideas to sexuality and poverty.
Donovan's ambition is to move away from government regulations and to help companies serve non-traditional markets with the aim of ultimately increasing profitability - a process he describes as "figuring out how to 'eat that elephant'".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-39026809
|
Amazon Prime imam 'stopped in the street for selfies' - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Amazon ad imam called on by government to promote harmony between Muslims and other faiths.
|
Leicester
|
Priest Gary Bradley and Zubeir Hassam share a cup of tea before buying each other kneepads in the Amazon Prime ad
A man who played an imam in a popular Christmas advert has been asked to work with the government to promote harmony between Islam and other faiths.
In the Amazon commercial, Zubeir Hassam and priest Gary Bradley buy each other kneepads to help with the discomfort of kneeling while praying.
Mr Hassam said it had turned him into a celebrity, with people stopping him in the street for selfies.
He is even set to meet the Queen when she visits Leicester in April.
Since the ad was released in the UK in November to promote the Amazon Prime delivery service, it has been viewed millions of times around the world.
Mr Hassam, principal of the Muslim School, in Oadby, Leicestershire, said he was pleased with its positive message, which promotes friendship between Muslims and Christians.
"The message that went to the world and the community at large was of peace," he said.
But he said he never thought it would become so popular and he now gets stopped for selfies, including one occasion at an airport in Turkey, where he was recognised by a family travelling to Mecca.
"It was so amazing to see them all, the sisters and brothers in ihram [where men wear all white for the pilgrimage] and yet they wanted a picture with me," he said.
He was given a taste of celebrity life when he was invited to a world peace conference in Abu Dhabi and put up in a five-star hotel.
"I'm not royalty but I feel I've reached that level," he joked.
But there is a serious side to the attention the advert has garnered and the government has asked him to work with them on promoting harmony between faiths, he said.
Although he has met the Queen three times before the advert aired, he has been invited to dine with her when she visits Leicester on Maundy Thursday.
"I'm sure she'll [ask] me are you the Amazon imam? And I'll say, 'yes I am'," he said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-39050299
|
Helen Bailey: A life shaped by death - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Author Helen Bailey tried to build a new life after her husband died, but it was ripped from her by the man she chose to build it with.
|
Beds, Herts & Bucks
|
Helen Bailey's husband John Sinfield died while the pair were on holiday in Barbados in 2011
Helen Bailey's life changed completely following the death of her husband in 2011. Overcome by loneliness, she sought solace through the internet, writing a successful blog and communicating with others dealing with grief. It was here that she met the man she thought would become her life partner - but he would instead prove to be her killer.
Six years ago, Ms Bailey was enjoying success as a children's author, having written more than 20 books, including the popular Electra Brown series.
A lover of cooking, Arsenal FC and her Dachshund Boris, the Northumberland-born writer lived with her husband John Sinfield in Highgate, north London. The pair had been together for 22 years, and married for 15.
In February 2011, during a holiday to Barbados, her world was turned upside down when Mr Sinfield got caught in a rip current in the sea and drowned.
Ms Bailey was, in her own words, "a wife at breakfast, but a widow by lunch".
The aftermath saw her start a blog, Planet Grief. The posts shine with wit, humour, honesty and authenticity as she recounts moments from her life as a widow.
She describes releasing memorial balloons on Hampstead Heath; buying a single Scotch egg in the deli she used to frequent with her husband; coping with Christmas and the loss of the festive traditions she used to enjoy as a couple.
Ms Bailey wrote more than 20 books, including the Electra Brown series for teenagers
"I'm on a Facebook bereavement page, piddling around," she wrote in one post. "A photo comes up. I am surprised to see it because I know the man in the photo.
"I keep wondering where we met, wracking my grieving brain.
"As it turned out, we had never met, but the man was Gorgeous Grey-Haired Widower, a man who from the moment we first met, I felt as if I had known for my entire life."
Ms Bailey went on to date GGHW, as she referred to him in her blog, and they later bought a house in Royston, Hertfordshire, moving in together along with his two sons.
They were planning to marry and were arranging a wedding at nearby Brocket Hall.
But in April last year, she was reported missing; a disappearance friends and family said was completely out of character.
Ms Bailey and Stewart moved in together at a house in Royston, Hertfordshire
Stewart made the initial call to police - he claimed to have found a note from Ms Bailey saying she needed "space" and had gone to her holiday home in Broadstairs, Kent.
He later issued a heartfelt message which said: "You not only mended my heart five years ago but made it bigger, stronger and kinder.
"Now it feels like my heart doesn't even exist. Our plans are nowhere near complete and without you there is no point."
Stewart sent text messages to her phone asking him to let her know she was OK, pleading with her to call.
Friends and fellow dog walkers organised searches to try to find her, with many also sending messages to her phone and social media accounts.
But all along, her body - and that of her beloved pet Boris - were hidden metres away from where police were searching.
When she was found in a cesspit three months later, tests revealed she had been systematically drugged over a period of time before finally being suffocated.
Stewart and Ms Bailey were described by a neighbour as "complete opposites"
Stewart, described by many as "quiet" and "reserved", had been widowed in 2010 when his wife, Diane, died. She had an epileptic fit in the garden of their home in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire.
The 56-year-old had worked as a software engineer before being forced to give up work due to poor health. Early in 2016 he had been told there was a high chance he had bowel cancer, but was later given the all-clear.
He suffered from insomnia and was prescribed a drug called zopiclone - the same drug pathologists found in Ms Bailey's system.
Mavis Drake, the couple's nearest neighbour in Royston, said Stewart was a man "without much personality".
"He didn't make any impression on me," she said. "He wouldn't venture information, so you'd have to try to prise it out of him.
"I would never in a million years have matched them up as a couple. To me they were complete opposites in character."
The search for Ms Bailey lasted three months
During the murder trial, St Albans Crown Court heard evidence about Stewart's behaviour and actions in the weeks after the killing.
On 11 April, the day he suffocated Ms Bailey, he went to watch his son Jamie play bowls before having a Chinese takeaway in the evening.
Detectives investigating the author's disappearance told the jury he seemed "quite blasé and non-committal", appearing, at one point, to "turn his head to the side and look at us and grin".
As the prime beneficiary of Ms Bailey's will, he stood to inherit the bulk of her fortune - thought to be more than £3.3m at the time of her death.
While the search for her was under way, he renewed their Arsenal season tickets from the couple's joint account and went on holiday to Mallorca, the jury heard.
"In hindsight, I think he was beginning to believe everything was going to carry on as normal and she'd never be found," said neighbour Mrs Drake.
An aerial view of the couple's home in Royston and the garage, beneath which Ms Bailey's body was found
Ms Bailey's body was found in a cesspit underneath a Victorian well
It was a comment from Mrs Drake herself that led to his downfall, after she mentioned to officers about the cesspit hidden below her neighbours' garage.
Three months after he reported her missing, Stewart was charged with murder. He was convicted after a seven-week trial at St Albans Crown Court.
"To say it sent shockwaves through the widowed community is an understatement," said Laraine Mason, who, like Stewart, had met Ms Bailey online following the death of her spouse.
"For this tragedy to have happened to a lady who had found happiness again, after being widowed in the most tragic of circumstances is in itself horrific.
"Words cannot possibly express the horror and repulsion we feel by the fact that these acts have been perpetrated by one of our own against one of our own."
Stewart was arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July last year
Comments left by friends on the final Planet Grief blog post after Ms Bailey's death show just how loved and respected she was within the bereaved community online.
They speak of the comfort her words had brought over the years, her honesty and humour, how much she would be missed.
The blog had been hugely successful, gaining followers from around the world. In 2015, the posts had formed the basis for a book: "When Bad Things Happen in Good Bikinis."
At Ms Bailey's memorial service, Ms Mason spoke of the "exceptional talent" of her friend, the "searingly honest, yet at the same time witty account of life after the death of a loved one".
Bereavement coach Shelley Whitehead, who met Ms Bailey a few months after Mr Sinfield died, called her "a brave, gutsy, connected woman" who was "so funny".
"Helen created tribes - she had a following on widow and widower's websites," she said. "It helped her, and it helped others who had experienced loss.
"She was making sense of the world and her loss through her writing."
Ms Bailey's Planet Grief blog gained followers from around the world
Shelley Whitehead, left, said she was "blessed" to call Ms Bailey her friend
For some of those closest to Ms Bailey, it is her writing which stirs up memories of the woman she was, and the impact she had on their lives.
"Helen lives on in her books - I keep copies of her book on grief in my office. I give them to newly bereaved partners," Ms Whitehead said.
"I feel blessed to have coached a woman like Helen. I feel blessed to call her my friend."
In the wake of the trial, with its revelations about the extent of Stewart's deception and his actions, the dedications at the end of Ms Bailey's book are difficult to read.
"And finally, this book is dedicated to my Gorgeous Grey-Haired Widower, Ian Stewart: BB, I love you," it says.
"You are my happy ending."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-38505358
|
The housemates who found a lost plane wreck - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Eastern Airlines Flight 980 crashed into a mountain in Bolivia in 1985. Dan Futrell and Isaac Stoner spent an unusual holiday trying to work out why.
|
Magazine
|
On 1 January 1985 a passenger jet crashed into a mountain in Bolivia killing all 29 people on board. No bodies were ever found. Nor were the black boxes that would have revealed the cause of the accident. But last year two young Americans decided to have a look themselves - and ended up achieving far more than official investigators.
"What are the chances that a couple of knuckleheads, with no mountaineering experience could actually go up to the top of this 20,000ft mountain and find anything?" asks Isaac Stoner.
"Still I thought it would be a neat vacation."
It was his flatmate, Dan Futrell, who came up with the idea one Saturday afternoon in 2015, as he idly browsed the internet looking for developments in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.
He found himself on a Wikipedia page listing 19 unrecovered flight recorders, and one immediately caught his attention - Eastern Airlines Flight 980, which had crashed in Bolivia in 1985, as it was coming in to land in the capital, La Paz.
Mount Illimani as seen from La Paz, Bolivia
Unlike most of the missing black boxes, this one wasn't at the bottom of the sea, it was on land. It hadn't been found, Wikipedia said, due to "extreme high altitude and inaccessibility of the accident location". But to Futrell it just seemed like "a typical Andean peak".
"We were on the couch drinking beer," Stoner recalls, "and Dan said, 'Look, this black box is just sitting on the top of a mountain in Bolivia. Let's go get it.'"
Futrell, 32, a former soldier who served two tours in Iraq, says he misses physical challenges now that he works at an internet company in Boston. So he seeks them out, and gets 31-year-old Stoner, who works at a biotech company, to accompany him.
They started finding out more about Eastern Airlines Flight 980. It had set off from Asuncion on New Year's Day 1985, heading to Miami via La Paz, carrying 19 passengers and 10 crew. The Boeing 727 had just been cleared to land at El Alto airport at 19:47, when it veered off course and crashed into Mount Illimani, the 21,000ft (6,400m) peak that towers over La Paz. Everyone on board was killed.
The crash site was located a day later by the Bolivian air force, however a search team was forced to turn back by heavy snowfall. In all, at least five expeditions made it up the mountain over the next 30 years, but none recovered bodies or flight recorders.
As contraband was often smuggled on flights from South America to Miami, conspiracy theories swirled around. Five members of one of Paraguay's richest families were on the flight and the US ambassador to Paraguay would have been on it too, if he had not changed his plans at the last minute. One unsubstantiated theory even alleges that a climber who reached the wreckage two days after the crash removed the black boxes to prevent a successful investigation.
Stoner started contacting climbers in Bolivia to see if two "ordinary guys" with no mountaineering experience could make the trip. One, Robert Rauch, said that they could.
"He told us 'I can put you right on the wreckage.' It turns out the glacier where the plane had crashed had retreated and there hadn't been much snowfall, so we might be able to see debris not seen for decades," Stoner says.
Rauch also revealed that some of the wreckage had fallen over a cliff, landing 3,000ft (915m) below the rest of the plane. This lower site was more accessible and a good place to start the search.
It was still high though. They would be operating at altitudes between 13,000ft and 20,000ft (4,000m-6,100m), where oxygen levels are 50% lower than at sea level.
Rauch warned them they would need at least three weeks in La Paz to acclimatise, but this was more time than they had available.
"We told him we had a total of two weeks' vacation," says Futrell, 32. "So he recommended we sleep in an altitude tent beforehand. We rented one and set it up in the basement. It pumps in nitrogen and simulates a low oxygen environment. It was awful and we would wake up with headaches."
Futrell and Stoner enlisted the help of experienced mountaineer Robert Rauch
Rauch also told the pair to build up their upper arm strength to prepare them for ice climbing.
"[We did] a lot of pull-ups with backpacks on," says Futrell.
"Isaac mostly attempted and I did all the pull-ups for both of us. I envisioned him hanging off the end of a cliff and me being the only person that could save his life."
"I envisioned cutting the rope and sending Dan down to the bottom of the abyss," jokes Stoner.
Other training included trekking up and down the steps of the Harvard Football Stadium in Boston. They also got a prescription for Diamox, which helps the body to absorb oxygen.
Isaac (left) and Dan bought ice axes and shovels in La Paz
One of the frequent avalanches that Dan and Isaac think are bringing wreckage down the mountain
On 17 May last year they flew to El Alto airport in Bolivia where they met up with their team - guide Robert Rauch, Bolivian cook Jose Lazo and journalist Peter Frick-Wright, who went on to write a detailed story for Outside magazine. After a few days of acclimatisation, they drove to a nearby peak to practise emergency drills.
The friends planned to split their time between the lower site Rauch had told them about and the impact site on the glacier, higher up the mountain, where the plane tail was still lodged in the snow.
"Robert decided that the best course of action would be to get us up on a mountain, to teach us how to ice climb, because we honestly didn't know what we were doing when it came to crampons and ice axes and being tied into a rope," says Stoner.
The housemates also struggled with the changes in temperature that veered from -6C (21F) in the shade to 9C (48F) in the sun.
"We knew we were going to suffer," says Futrell, "and in fact that was part of the draw of this trip. Worthwhile things are often challenging and that's what we were looking for."
The team set off for their base camp at 15,400ft (4,700m) above sea-level in a battered four-wheel drive, though two miles short of their destination they came to a halt. The road had been blocked by a rock fall, and they had to get out and walk.
"We camped at this spooky old abandoned mine with a view of the big cliff face where the crash had happened," Stoner says.
"Every now and then there was a distant avalanche that sounded like a runaway train. Apart from that it was silent. We were up above cloud level and it was really wild and beautiful scenery."
The next day they hiked for 45 minutes and, as Rauch had promised, they found themselves in the midst of the plane wreckage.
Debris was scattered over one square mile of rocky ground. Pieces of mangled plastic and wiring mingled with cutlery, wheels and broken cockpit equipment.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flatmates Dan Futrell and Isaac Stoner look for the black box from Eastern Airlines 980
The first thing they saw, however, was a life jacket - "a piece of equipment intended to save somebody's life" as Futrell puts it.
"So not only did we know we were in the right spot, but we were instantly reminded that there's tragedy here for 29 families."
They had planned a grid search pattern but in their excitement decided first to go off in different directions to take a look.
Debris from the Boeing 727-225 was strewn across one square mile
A pair of children's trainers were among the wreckage
The friends were busy picking through the wreckage when they were called by Rauch on their walkie-talkies. They rushed over to see what he had found. Slowly they realised they were looking at a human femur lying among the rubble.
"We all took a moment. We tried saying a few words but couldn't come up with anything," says Stoner.
The discovery disproved one conspiracy theory put forward by former Eastern Airlines pilot George Jehn in his book Final Destination: Disaster. After no remains were found on the first five expeditions, he suggested a bomb had depressurised the cabin and sucked the passengers out of the plane. This would have flung the bodies far from the wreckage. However, Futrell, Stoner and their companions found six body parts in separate locations.
One of the rock stacks the team used to mark human remains found on the mountainside
Cutlery from on board the Eastern Airlines 980 flight
One of the windows from the plane and orange metal found at the site
They decided to bury each find and mark the spot with a geomarker and a stack of rocks, in case anyone wanted to retrieve them later on.
"We also found silverware from the meal service, a sink from one of the bathrooms, shoes and shirts and jackets with pilot stripes on them. We found the emergency slide and life jackets, plane windows, landing gear and part of the instrument panel from the cockpit," says Futrell.
"There were wires everywhere and thousands of reptile skins which were likely to have been contraband."
However, there was no sign of the black boxes, which despite their name are typically bright orange.
"We were finding orange bits of metal the whole time, but I was holding on to the hope they weren't pieces of the black box as they are supposed to withstand a plane crashing into a mountain," says Stoner.
But on the final day of searching at the lower site, Stoner unearthed a piece of metal with a label attached to some wires that read "CKPT VO RCRD" an abbreviation of Cockpit Voice Recorder.
Wires labelled "cockpit voice recorder" suggested the team were on the right track
They decided this probably meant that at least one of the recorders had broken apart.
Not far away, they found a spool of magnetic tape.
Would this hold a recording of the final moments of the aircraft? Futrell describes this as his "greatest hope".
After three or four days at the lower site, the team decided to move on to the higher debris site and drove to a higher base camp. They set off at 04:30 the next morning but soon ran into serious problems.
"We had wanted to get up there and back in one day but we found we didn't have the time to do it. We were going slower as we were inexperienced at mountaineering and new crevasses had opened up which meant we had a longer and more difficult route," says Futrell.
They eventually decided it was too risky and turned back.
Dan and Isaac spent time digging out debris. At times the high altitude make them feel nauseous
Returning to La Paz they boxed up the orange pieces of metal, wires and tape they had found and flew home with them to Boston. They suspected this might be breaking the rules of air investigations but decided it was the right thing to do anyway.
"We knew there was a specialist government lab in the States that would give us the best shot at an answer as to why the plane went down. Plus it was a US airliner and there had been no Bolivians on board," says Stoner.
Back home in the US, though, they had a problem. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US department in charge of investigating plane crashes, didn't want to touch their packages.
"They said 'Great job guys, but we can't do anything with it unless we get Bolivian sign-off,'" says Futrell.
The housemates then spent months sending emails and letters and telephoning Bolivian officials.
"So at this point the black box has been sitting in our apartment on the kitchen counter next to the dog food for seven months," Stoner said at the end of 2016. "And really it's become a key part of the decorative aesthetic in the apartment."
Finally, in December, they were contacted by Capt Edgar Chavez, operations inspector at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Bolivia, who gave the NTSB permission to analyse the material.
So on 4 January, Futrell and Stoner handed over the plane fragments to Bill English from the NTSB, who took them to a laboratory in Washington.
Bill English picks up the plane fragments that had been sitting on Dan and Isaac's fridge
The housemates had already concluded that poor weather, the tricky descent to El Alto airport and unreliable equipment had all probably played a part in the crash. However, data from the voice recorder might give conclusive answers to the families who had lost their loved ones.
"We had people reaching out from Paraguay, we had family members reaching out from the US, right down to an old girlfriend of the pilot calling me on the phone," says Stoner, "and most of them just really did want to say, 'Nice job guys, thank you.'"
One of the family members was Stacey Greer, the daughter of Mark Bird, the flight engineer on Eastern Airlines Flight 980. Greer was only two years old when her father was killed.
"I was surprised that someone would be interested in finding out what happened. It gave me hope that people still care," Greer says.
She had asked Futrell and Stoner to bring back some metal from the plane for her.
"It was a really touching meeting," says Futrell. "She got to put her hands on pieces of the plane, the last plane that her father flew and that took his life. She took this metal home and she turned one of the pieces of metal into a necklace just in memory of her dad and his loss."
"Usually there is a grave site or a memorial for a lost one, but my family never had that. Now we have something," Greer says.
The items studied by the National Transportation Safety Board in the US on behalf of the Bolivian authorities
Futrell and Stoner had not found the cockpit flight recorder, it said, but rather the rack that had fixed it on to the plane - and the promising spool of tape turned out to be "an 18-minute recording of the 'Trial by Treehouse' episode of the television series 'I Spy', dubbed in Spanish."
"Needless to say, we're disappointed," Futrell wrote on his blog.
However, it means both the recorders are still up on the mountain and could still be intact. Futrell and Stoner hope others will now follow in their footsteps.
Already one member of the US Forces has declared his intention to organise an expedition to recover human remains.
"This tragedy really deserves a formal, resourced, governmental investigation," says Futrell. "We've proved that 'inaccessible terrain' is an unacceptable reason for failing to close this investigation."
Listen to Dan Futrell and Isaac Stoner speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38932974
|
'Glamour and disability can mix' - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Hulya Arif is one of a number of disabled women breaking into the beauty business.
| null |
Hulya Arif is a business entrepreneur who started her Pro Beauty Clinic in Dulwich, south London, two years ago. She specialises in treatments that other clinics don't offer.
Hulya is also disabled, suffering from a rare disorder called transverse myelitis, meaning she is partially paralysed from the chest down.
But she argues there is no reason disabled people should feel shut out of the world of glamour.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39056075
|
Donald Trump's golf hobby under scrutiny with Clinton tweet - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Donald Trump, a frequent critic of Barack Obama's time on the links, is now himself under scrutiny.
|
US & Canada
|
President Trump (pictured here with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the left) has made visits to his Florida golf courses a weekend habit during his first month in office
A Hillary Clinton retweet has drawn attention to President Donald Trump's golf outings, which critics are hoping to turn into a political handicap.
The former Democratic White House candidate shared a graph suggesting her former rival spent 25 hours on the links during his first month in office.
Mr Trump made his sixth trip to the golf course on Sunday, joined by professional golfer Rory McIlroy.
The Republican was a frequent critic of Barack Obama's fairway excursions.
According to an analysis of Washington Post pool reports that was retweeted by Mrs Clinton, the president has dedicated 21 hours to foreign relations, 13 hours to tweeting and six hours to intelligence briefings in his first weeks.
What do you do when your life's goal, a dream that was nearly realised, slips away in a flash? That's the question Hillary Clinton has faced since Donald Trump smashed her presidential hopes last November.
In the ensuing days, the former secretary of state has taken long walks in New York woods with her husband, Bill. She's given a few speeches and caught some shows on Broadway, where she's always warmly received. And she's tweeted.
Haltingly, at first. A few Thanksgiving messages here, a get-well note to George HW Bush there. She stood firmly on uncontroversial ground.
Now, however, her voice is sharpening. She celebrates the anti-Trump protests that have swept across the country. She's poked fun at the president and taken more pointed shots at his policies and positions. As the president has stumbled, she's tiptoeing closer and closer to the land of "I told you so".
What's next for a woman in her life's third or fourth act? Rumours of a run for New York swirled then receded. When the presidential prize was so close, will anything else bring satisfaction?
Given that the Clintons have been in the national spotlight for decades, a quiet exit seems increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump joined Rory McIlroy, one of the world's highest ranked golfers, at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday.
The Irishman later told a golf blog he had played a full 18 holes with the president, as well as the chief executive of Clear Sports and former New York Yankee Paul O'Neill.
She said Mr Trump had only "played a couple of holes" on Saturday, as well as Sunday.
When pressed about McIlroy's comments on Monday, she said Mr Trump had "intended to play a few holes and decided to play longer".
The White House has otherwise declined to say who plays with Mr Trump, drawing backlash from US media over how much time he spends on the green.
But the president's golf hobby also recalls his repeated criticism of President Obama.
Mr Trump regularly accused Mr Obama of spending too much time golfing before and throughout his presidential campaign.
President Trump (2nd left) with Rory McIlroy (2nd right) on Sunday
"Can you believe that, with all the problems and difficulties facing the US, President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter," he tweeted in October 2014.
Ten days later, he tweeted: "President Obama has a major meeting on the NYC Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf!"
Mr Trump also said he would be too busy to swing at a tee if elected.
"I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf," he said last August.
But he later softened his tone toward the game, which he said could be used as a tool of diplomacy.
President Barack Obama (R) lines up a putt as British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) looks on near Watford in Hertfordshire, England, in April 2016
"I don't think you should play very much," he told the Golf Channel in July.
"But if you're going to play, you should use it to your advantage, and the country's advantage."
Earlier this month, the president hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and played a full round with the foreign leader as well as professional golfer Ernie Els.
However, his foursome on Sunday did not include any political types.
Former Presidents George W Bush and his father, George HW Bush, were also criticised for their golf outings, at the outsets of the first and second Iraq wars.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39054971
|
Who are Britain’s jihadists? - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
At least 800 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Syria and Iraq, according to British officials. But what do we know about them?
|
UK
|
Approximately 850 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, say the British authorities.
This BBC News database is the most comprehensive public record of its kind, telling the story of over 100 people from the UK who have been convicted of offences relating to the conflict and over 150 others who have either died or are still in the region.
This interactive content is optimised for modern, javascript-enabled web browsers. Please ensure you have javascript enabled and a current browser.
The information above has been compiled from open sources and BBC research. Some details have been withheld for legal reasons or are unavailable.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32026985
|
'How my mother's organ donations brought new friendships' - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
When her late mother donated her organs, Ella hoped one of the recipients might contact her. It turned into two wonderful friendships.
|
England
|
Ella (pictured, centre) has made two lifelong friends thanks to her late mother's organ donations
When her mother died in 2013, Ella decided her organs should be donated in the hope of saving the lives of others. It has led to several successful transplants and two wonderful friendships. Now Ella is hoping to donate to one of the same women as her mother.
Ella Murtha had always hoped the recipients of her late mother's organs would contact her, and that it might bring some form of closure. But she never expected to gain such strong friendships.
"I hoped I'd hear something when I agreed to be contacted [by the recipients], but I didn't know," she tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Her mother Tish died unexpectedly in 2013 following a ruptured brain aneurysm, aged 56. Despite her not being on the organ donor list, Ella felt that it was right for her organs to be passed on.
Tish's heart, kidney, pancreas, liver, eye tissue and lungs were all donated, leading to successful transplants that doctors said saved the lives of four women and the eyesight of four men.
Many organ donors never have the opportunity to meet the person, or people, whose lives they have changed for the better.
The recipient's identity remains confidential, although a thank-you letter can often be passed on via a transplant co-ordinator.
For six months Ella, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, heard nothing back. But then two letters arrived on her doorstep in the same week.
Teresa Saunders, from Reading, was one of those who decided to write, wanting to express her gratitude for receiving a kidney and pancreas.
Three years earlier her diabetes had caused her kidneys to fail when she became pregnant, and she had been placed on a waiting list.
After the operation Teresa waited about five months before writing to Ella, in order "to fully recover and make sure I was well and the organs were OK".
Jane Holmes, of Hornsea, East Yorkshire, also decided to write. She was in a wheelchair and had struggled to breathe since being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension.
"I wanted Ella to know what her decision had gone on to do - to help save a mum with four children," she explains.
"Initially it's like the lungs came off the shelf - it's clinical and you don't attach people to it.
"But when you start getting better you want to thank people for it, and you think you visualise the person."
The pair exchanged letters, but their friendship began to blossom when Jane's daughter Maisie sent Ella a Christmas card.
Aged eight at the time, Maisie had thought Ella might be lonely without her mother, and wrote a card that read: "Thank you for letting your mum save my mum's life."
Maisie sent a letter to Ella, thanking her for helping to save her mother's life
On the anniversary of Jane receiving her new lungs, the three women decided to meet, saying it felt like a natural progression.
"It sounds funny but we are like sisters because we have this bond - even like I'd known them for years," Teresa said.
"I feel really lucky," Ella said. "It's so hard to explain it because I see them like family, but almost special friends that my mum has introduced me to.
"Teresa and Jane share my mum's organs and that's a special bond as well. For whatever reason, we're meant to be in each other's life."
The women speak almost every day, but the connection between them may yet grow stronger.
Teresa's new kidney is deteriorating, meaning she will require a replacement.
About 3,000 kidney transplants are carried out each year
In up to 90% of cases, a kidney transplant lasts for five or more years. In this instance doctors believe Teresa needs a replacement kidney from a living donor - and Ella hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps by donating her own organ.
She has undertaken tests to see if their tissue types are compatible. It may not be possible for Ella to donate, but Teresa says she is "overwhelmed" by her kindness and knows she can rely on Ella's emotional support.
The three friends are currently fundraising for Jane's daughter Maisie, who has cerebral palsy, to have an operation to help her walk.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39053938
|
Unilever stung into action by Kraft - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Kraft Heinz's failed bid for Unilever has forced the Anglo-Dutch company to focus on the bottom line.
|
Business
|
Unilever is behind some of Britain's best-known brands
Think of Kraft Heinz's assault on Unilever as a slap in the face for management. It was short-lived, shocking, and will smart for a good while yet.
It's a slap that says "we think we can do a better job for your shareholders than you". That is not a message you want to get lodged in shareholders minds if you are Unilever's management and today the company acknowledged the sting.
"Unilever is conducting a comprehensive review of options available to accelerate delivery of value for the benefit of our shareholders. The events of the last week have highlighted the need to capture more quickly the value we see in Unilever."
That is the sound of a company cheek smarting.
It is very rare for corporate raiders like Warren Buffett (24% owner of Kraft Heinz) and Brazilian financier Jorge Lemann (owner of 3G) to back off so quickly. Once you dangle higher returns in front of pragmatic investors, they usually want to see what the next chat up line might be.
The Unilever management will take some pride in the fact they convinced some of their own major shareholders to back their rejection of the offer so flatly. The management argument, as told to me by senior management, went something like this.
Yes - Kraft has much higher profit margins than Unilever (23% compared to 15%) so looks like the better operator. But - Kraft habitually invests less in the future, therefore has lower organic (internally generated) growth and is saddled with more than average amounts of debt.
As a result it needs to acquire other companies to keep the growth going and pays for it by using yet more debt, which is financed in part with cash the target company has in the bank.
That model, argues Unilever, is not sustainable. Before long, we would be part of an underinvested, short-term profit-seeking, company-eating machine. As soon as Unilever had been digested, Kraft would be hungry again.
When the management of the company you want to buy REALLY don't want to sell to you, you can always go over their heads, cut them out of the negotiation and appeal directly to the shareholders.
But "going hostile" costs a lot more money and excites much more regulatory and political interest than a deal which the management recommends.
Many UK politicians welcomed the Kraft defeat as a victory for responsible long-term thinking by one of Europe's biggest companies and its shareholders who wisely eschewed the Jerry Maguire "show me the money" approach.
It's lucky for them they did. It will give the government a bit more time to figure out their own play book for how to deal with future bids - which are certainly coming thanks to the discount UK companies are selling at thanks to a near 20% depreciation in sterling post-referendum.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, I spoke to half a dozen US executives who were running the rule over potential UK targets - big and small.
Current rules only allow the government to intervene when takeovers could compromise financial stability, national security or media plurality.
Targets I heard discussed included food and drink, engineering and technology companies based or listed in the UK with foreign earnings potential. You can come up with a reasonably long list using those criteria.
Despite a few eye-catching deals like Japan's Softbank swoop on ARM Holdings and the upstart company Skyscanner being sold to a Chinese rival, there is no flood yet.
In fact, merger activity overall is still subdued as bidders are still wary of the prospects for UK companies with exposure to domestic and EU markets until greater clarity emerges on the future relationship between the two.
As Kraft Heinz retreats with its tail between its legs for now there is plenty of food for thought for both Unilever and government.
Unilever's CEO Paul Polman has been warned that if he doesn't focus more on the bottom line, someone else will.
The government may have to decide quickly whether foreign takeovers are a sign of confidence in the UK to be welcomed or opportunistic raiding parties to be resisted.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39056240
|
Saint-Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (agg 0-4) - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Manchester United reach the Europa League last 16 despite seeing Eric Bailly sent off and Henrikh Mkhitaryan sustain an injury.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester United eased into the last 16 of the Europa League with victory at Saint-Etienne but goalscorer Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be out of Sunday's EFL Cup final after limping off.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg thanks to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick, United started sharply in front of a noisy home support at a stadium often referred to as 'The Cauldron', with Mkhitaryan flicking in Juan Mata's cross early on to leave the hosts needing five goals.
The Armenian departed shortly after and clutched his hamstring as he entered the tunnel, an injury which could impact on manager Jose Mourinho's team selection for Sunday's Wembley meeting with Southampton.
And although United had defender Eric Bailly sent off for two bookable offences in the second half, they rarely looked under pressure in securing a place in Friday's last-16 draw.
Short of a Loic Perrin header, which was easily held by Sergio Romero in the first half, United - who had made six changes - were comfortable throughout, with Marcus Rashford poking wide when well placed in the second period.
The first leg of their next game in the competition will arrive days before an FA Cup tie at Chelsea but with just one defeat in 25 matches, Mourinho continues to shuffle his pack efficiently and the challenge for three cup successes remains in tact.
United's brilliant run of form since early November has largely coincided with Mkhitaryan establishing himself as a first-team regular.
His sixth goal for the club was a deft flick at the near post as he guided the ball low into the net, effectively ending the contest.
His inclusion, along with that of Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, perhaps suggested Mourinho felt United still had work to do in the tie, despite the prospect of a first major trophy of the Portuguese manager's reign being on offer on Sunday.
But Mourinho believes his playmaker will have "too little time" to overcome the injury and Michael Carrick also looks a doubt with a calf complaint.
The injuries will pose selection dilemmas but could pave the way for Wayne Rooney - whose future at the club looks uncertain - to perhaps figure more prominently at Wembley.
If Mkhitaryan's injury frustrated Mourinho, he was visibly angered as he waved his hand up in protest when by Bailly was dismissed for two yellow cards in a 185-second spell.
Bailly was fractionally late on Romain Hamouma to bring about his second caution, though Mourinho felt the winger "enjoyed too much the diving and simulation".
The defender will miss the first-leg of the next round, but his dismissal should not take any gloss from a professional display. When resistance was needed, it arrived - notably when Bailly and Romero raced to thwart Kevin Monnet-Paquet's burst towards goal in the first half.
At the other end, the pace of Rashford, drive of Pogba and threat of Ibrahimovic ensured United always looked capable carving their hosts open and finding extra gears if needed.
Almost nine years have passed since their last European success under then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who watched from the stands as United made it five wins in a row, with just one goal conceded.
Tough opposition such as Lyon and Roma could yet arise in the Europa League but United clearly look well placed for an assault on a trophy they have never won and though injuries mount, they carry strong momentum into the first domestic cup final of the season.
"The right message" - what the managers said
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: "Everything was under control, solid, focused, professional. Obviously the first goal kills every hope. We still like to win the game. I told the players if someone gives me a 2-1 victory it is not enough. I always want the best possible result.
"I have to give the right message to the players and the right message is to play with a strong team and have a bench with options. We knew it would be difficult. It was important to play solid and to have complete control of the game."
Saint-Etienne manager Christophe Galtier: "I would love for my players to have won this game for themselves, first of all, but also for the fans because they would have deserved it. The fans were just exceptional tonight."
• None Since winning their final Europa League group game against Zorya Luhansk in December, United have conceded just seven goals in 18 games, winning 14.
• None Man Utd have kept four successive clean sheets in European competition for the first time since December 2013.
• None Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been involved in five goals in his last six games for Man Utd in all competitions (three goals, two assists).
• None Man Utd have scored in all but one of their last 26 games in all competitions (0-0 v Hull on 1 February).
• None Attempt saved. Jorginho (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Fabien Lemoine tries a through ball, but Kévin Monnet-Paquet is caught offside.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Florentin Pogba tries a through ball, but Nolan Roux is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Paul Pogba.
• None Attempt missed. Vincent Pajot (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Kévin Théophile-Catherine tries a through ball, but Romain Hamouma is caught offside.
• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Romain Hamouma (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kévin Monnet-Paquet.
• None Attempt missed. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Paul Pogba. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39043662
|
The people with arthritis struggling to work - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
How do people juggle staying in work with a painful and debilitating condition like arthritis?
|
Business
|
Christine Lewis took medical retirement at 48 but felt she had more to give
Some 600,000 people with arthritis are missing out on the opportunity to work, according to the charity Arthritis Research UK. BBC presenter Julian Worricker, who has psoriatic arthritis, spoke to people trying to juggle staying in work with a painful and debilitating condition.
Britain is a nation of "put up and shut up" when it comes to workplace health.
That's according to leading charity Arthritis Research UK. This isn't just based on anecdotal evidence - before Christmas the charity questioned more than 2,000 people about their attitudes and experience regarding health and the workplace.
One theme arose time and time again - people's willingness to suffer in silence.
I have arthritis. Not rheumatoid, but another inflammatory form of the disease - psoriatic arthritis. It's linked to the common skin complaint, psoriasis.
I'm lucky in that I've rarely had serious flare-ups. I'm now taking a drug that dramatically improves my symptoms, and at work I can think of only a handful of occasions when I've been hampered, discomforted or forced to make adjustments for any nagging pain I may have been experiencing.
But for thousands of other people in the UK it's a very different story.
Osteoarthritis - which makes movement more difficult - is the most common form of arthritis
Sarah Dillingham is a case in point. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in her 20s when she was working in a high-pressure corporate environment.
Some people at work didn't understand the severity of Sarah's health issues, she says
During bad flare-ups she had to cope with extreme fatigue and intense pain. Everyday tasks, even holding a pen, were difficult.
Commuting, or as Sarah put it "being bashed about on the tube", really took it out of her.
Over 10 years she struggled to control her symptoms.
"My world became all about my job because in order to go in and deliver I could only do that if I got up early to deal with the pain. I didn't have any social life. Your world does shrink in quite an unhealthy way," she says.
She experienced the best and the worst from the people she worked alongside.
She tells me: "A fantastic colleague used to help by writing on the white board for me during presentations when I couldn't lift my arms up."
But one boss made it very clear that Sarah's health issues were not something to be considered important, forcing her to try and act as if there was no problem at all.
"Being bashed about on the tube" on her daily commute was one of the things that made working difficult, says Sarah Dillingham
Christine Lewis's story taps into some of the same narrative.
She was a nurse when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, but daily work tasks became too much for her and she switched her career to banking.
Initially her new employers were very receptive to her needs, but as time went on they became less supportive.
"They employed someone to come and assess me. She assessed my working environment and made various recommendations."
They suggested minor changes to her desk and workstation, Christine told me.
"They said that things don't happen very quickly in business. A year later, still nothing," she says.
Sarah's and Christine's stories diverge at this point. Sarah is now her own boss, works mainly from home, and can manage her travel so that it rarely coincides with the London rush hour.
Christine Lewis, pictured here with Julian, says employers are missing out on a "wealth of experience." She now volunteers for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
As an employer, partly as a result of what she went through as an employee, she's a believer in what she calls "sensible flexibility".
She says: "I absolutely understand the importance of hiring people who will give 100%.
"At the same time pretty much everyone has something in their life, whether that's a long-term medical condition, or young children or having to care for someone.
"It can be as simple as being able to hold meetings over Skype, or an ergonomic mouse which is very cheap."
Christine, by contrast, took medical retirement at the age of 48.
She feels she still had a number of good working years ahead of her but, without the necessary adjustments being made in the office to help her manage, she felt she had no choice but to give up her job.
"Employers are missing out on the wealth of experience that people have," she says.
"Being that bit older, I've got a house. I've had children, I've been a housewife and all that actually is quite a lot of experience that employers should tap into."
The Department for Work and Pensions told us that funding is available through the government's Access to Work scheme to pay for equipment or support that a disabled person might need in the workplace.
Stories like those of Sarah and Christine might well influence the government's thinking in the coming months.
It says it wants to halve what's known as the disability gap - that's the difference between employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - and it's been consulting on how best to do that.
The Labour MP, Frank Field, chairs the parliamentary work and pensions committee. A lot of evidence about work and disability has come before him in recent months.
"Nobody doubts the will of the government wishing to do this. What's worrying is whether they've really thought about how hard this objective is to achieve," he says.
One suggestion is to encourage employers using incentives. "One should have, in this coming Budget, a reduction in national insurance contributions to those employers who say I'm taking [disabled] people onto my payroll," he says.
During our conversation Mr Field highlighted one statistic that put into perspective what the government wants to do: according to the Learning and Work Institute, halving that disability gap will take - at current rates - 200 years.
Julian Worricker presents a mini-series about arthritis on You & Yours, from Wednesday 22 February to Friday 24 February at 12.15GMT on BBC Radio 4.
• None 'How I got arthritis to loosen its grip'
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39043187
|
Seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting single star - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Seven planets orbiting a single star have been discovered in a solar system 40 light-years from Earth.
| null |
Seven planets have been discovered in a solar system 40 light-years from Earth.
The researchers say that all seven could potentially support liquid water on the surface, depending on the other properties of those planets.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39056228
|
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes's new car given debut at Silverstone - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Lewis Hamilton puts the first laps on the Mercedes car he hopes will make him world champion for the fourth time in 2017.
| null |
Lewis Hamilton has put the first laps on the Mercedes car he hopes will make him world champion for the fourth time in 2017.
The 32-year-old drove the new Mercedes W08 at Silverstone in blustery, damp conditions.
Hamilton said the car felt "incredible" and "pretty awesome" on his first outing.
It has been produced to new regulations aimed at making the cars faster, more dramatic and more demanding of drivers.
It features an elegant design, in contrast to some rivals, and a notably narrow rear.
• None Did these crazy car launches really happen?
Hamilton said: "Yesterday was the first time I saw [the car] together. It is the most detailed piece of machinery I have seen in F1.
"This is not an actual test - it's just a few laps to make sure the car will run. But I was able to go faster in the last couple of laps.
"It feels almost identical to last year's car in terms of ergonomics but you have this bigger, more powerful beast around you."
'You may see some sparks' - Bottas
His new team-mate Valtteri Bottas, signed by Mercedes last month to replace Nico Rosberg, who retired after winning his first world title last year, drove the car on Thursday afternoon.
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said he was hoping for a less fractious relationship between Hamilton and Bottas than between the Briton and Rosberg.
"It's a completely new dynamic," Wolff said. "I see it as an opportunity to start from square one with a healthy relationship. There are no games, no warfare because there is no history.
"There is a solid foundation that the relationship works well. But you have to be realistic that when they get out there, it is about winning races and championships, and the rivalry could be difficult."
However, Bottas told BBC TV that "you may see some sparks" and he wanted to be world champion himself at some stage.
"I am here to do a lot for the team, everything I can," he said,
"I'm here also to prove myself. I'm not here to be the second driver. We are both going to be fighting a lot on the track, but fairly, and for the team."
Mercedes have clearly worked extremely hard at shrink-wrapping the bodywork as much as possible around the engine and its ancillaries to ensure the cleanest airflow and maximum aerodynamic downforce.
And the aerodynamic detailing on the car looks especially intricate, with a cascading series of airflow conditioners - commonly known as 'barge boards' - either side of the cockpit, which are a clear advance on anything seen before in F1.
Bottas said: "What I really like about it is how clean it looks, but at the same time there's a massive amount of detail."
Wolff added: "It is a new era of technical innovation, maybe someone has found the silver bullet that makes the difference, like Brawn in 2009. Hopefully it will be us."
Fourth title 'there for the taking' - Hamilton
Hamilton is relishing the prospect of the new season, which starts in Australia on 26 March.
"It is a good day to get confidence in the car. It is a good way to brush off cobwebs and do the walking because next week we have to go straight into the running," he said.
"I definitely don't want to finish second. Every year you generally set the same goals but you might add more. All drivers want to win but not everyone has the ability or the opportunity.
"We will find out whether we have the car next week, whether it is a reliable fast car so I can exploit what's inside me. I am looking for that fourth world championship. It's there for the taking again, I am up against another great driver in Valtteri and hopefully Red Bull and Ferrari will be up there as well."
The new rules were introduced at least partly because Mercedes' rivals hoped a reset would allow them to make up some ground. But there was always a risk that the best team with the best engine would end up further ahead.
It's too early to say that, but the new car looks like a work of engineering art and Hamilton ought to be favourite to win a fourth world title this season.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39063786
|
Antonio Conte: Chelsea boss meets England rugby union coach Eddie Jones - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte visits England rugby union boss Eddie Jones to "gain inspiration and tactical ideas".
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has visited England's rugby union team to share ideas with head coach Eddie Jones.
Jones, 57, has won all 15 of his Tests since England's World Cup exit, and his side are on a 16-game winning streak.
Conte has similarly rejuvenated Chelsea during his first season in England, with the Blues eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
"Eddie is a winner and he is transferring that mentality on to the team," Conte, 47, told England Rugby.
"It is important for me to compare my work and experience with another sport to gain inspiration and tactical ideas for the future.
"It was very interesting to observe another sport and the differences between the two."
Jones invited his football counterpart Gareth Southgate to Pennyhill Park earlier this month.
The Australian's team are preparing for Sunday's Six Nations match against Italy at Twickenham (15:00 GMT, live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra).
Jones' men will be seeking a 17th successive Test win, which would see them move within one of New Zealand's record.
Chelsea, meanwhile, play Swansea on Saturday, looking for a 12th home win from 13 league games this season.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39070266
|
Hibernian 3-1 Heart of Midlothian - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Holders Hibernian beat Edinburgh rivals Hearts to set up a home Scottish Cup quarter-final with Ayr United.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Football
Holders Hibernian beat Edinburgh rivals Hearts to set up a home Scottish Cup quarter-final with Ayr on 4 March.
Jason Cummings latched on to substitute Andrew Shinnie's clever pass to give Hibs an early lead.
Cummings turned provider for Grant Holt's strike as Hearts fell two down before the break.
And Shinnie, who had replaced Chris Humphrey early on, rifled in the hosts' third in the second half, Esmael Goncalves replying for Hearts.
Hearts found themselves engulfed at the home of their closest rivals. The visitors had expected Hibs to start the game assertively, but the intensity and commitment still saw their resolve collapse.
Hibs were canny in their approach, since the vivid pace of Martin Boyle and Humphrey on the flanks was enough to alarm the Hearts full-backs. The latter only lasted four minutes, due to injury, but a series of crosses from the right by both wingers led to desperate Hearts defending.
The opening goal was typical, with Hibs swarming upfield and Shinnie having the presence of mind to split the Hearts defence with a through ball that allowed Cummings to finish with a powerful and precise finish - continuing his scoring record against Hearts after netting the winner in last season's fifth-round replay.
The second goal was agonising for Ian Cathro's side, since they conceded possession deep in their opponents' half through a sloppy Lennard Sowah pass, then found themselves further behind after three passes and a counter attack ended with Holt slipping home.
Hibs' tenacity was irrepressible. John McGinn set the tone in the second half when he carried the ball into the Hearts penalty area, lost it, but then won it back with such eagerness that the visiting defenders looked forlorn. He cut a pass back to Shinnie, and his effort was saved one-handed by Jack Hamilton.
Every Hibs figure was fully in command. When the home fans grumbled angrily at a misplaced pass, head coach Neil Lennon turned to the stand and beckoned them to calm down. When they applauded in response, he lifted his arms to raise the atmosphere.
McGinn, too, was a forceful presence in midfield. It was his determination to win the ball that led to Shinnie striking an effort from 20 yards that seemed to fly through Hamilton's hands for the decisive third goal.
By the end, the home fans were chanting "there's only one Ian Cathro" in mocking tones.
The Hearts head coach did not need a squad so much as the ability to clone Jamie Walker. The attacking midfielder was the sole figure of defiance in his side, but had to roam the field looking for a way to influence the game that he was mostly isolated.
Alexandros Tziolis is a clever, accomplished footballer, but he seemed at odds with the pace of the game. Malaury Martin looked like a player who had found himself in the wrong game.
He did not re-emerge for the second half, along with Perry Kitchen, but with Hibs so well organised and drilled, even the addition of a winger in Sam Nicholson and a forward in Rory Currie could not disrupt them.
Nicholson did create a chance for Walker, which he sent over, and Currie did win the ball before sending it to Goncalves, who was fouled by Darren McGregor for a penalty.
Goncalves took the spot-kick, but even that was half-hearted and Ofir Marciano saved twice before the striker eventually bundled the ball over the line.
It was too little, too late, and on the final whistle Walker sank to the ground, alone in feeling too deflated to stand. He was also the only one of the Hearts players to head towards the away fans to applaud them before he left the field.
• None Attempt saved. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
• None Attempt missed. John McGinn (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
• None Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
• None Attempt missed. Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
• None Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the left wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38977353
|
HS2 high speed railway on track for final approval - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
HS2 high speed railway is given final approval, but with costs of £60bn, not everyone is happy.
| null |
The go-ahead has formally been given for the first phase of the HS2 high speed rail link between London and Birmingham.
After three years of debate in parliament, royal assent has been approved.
Supporters say the multi-billion pound project will boost the economy, whilst critics argue it is a waste of money and will damage the environment.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39057772
|
Steel firm unlocked disabled woman's potential - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
A young disabled woman discusses how she overcame barriers to find a fulfilling job in South Africa.
| null |
There are close to three million South Africans who suffer from some form of disability and they experience high unemployment, due to discrimination and lack of access.
One exception to the trend is Mbalenhle Nkhumelani, who was left paraplegic after a childhood injury, but has found employment with the global steelmaker ArcelorMittal.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39052747
|
Newspaper review: Did author murderer 'kill ex-wife too'? - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Newly convicted killer Ian Stewart makes most of the front pages as police look again at ex-wife's death.
|
The Papers
|
Many of today's papers report on the murder of the children's author Helen Bailey, by her partner Ian Stewart.
The Times says Stewart drugged Ms Bailey over a period of months, lacing her morning scrambled eggs with a powerful sedative which left her tired and vulnerable.
Helen Bailey chatted to Ian Stewart online before going out on dates and starting a relationship
The Guardian reports that Stewart began stealing money from his victim just hours after her death, raiding her savings account and attempting to sell one of her properties.
While the Daily Express says Stewart made a series of blunders following the murder, including keeping Ms Bailey's phone and referring to her in the past tense.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the government is under pressure to prove that none of the £20m paid to British terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay ended up in the hands of the so-called Islamic State group.
The calls have been sparked by the case of Jamal al Harith - an IS suicide bomber who received up to £1m in compensation after being freed from the prison camp.
The Daily Mail has come out fighting after Tony Blair accused the paper of hypocrisy over its coverage of the case. The former prime minister pointed out that The Mail had led a huge media campaign for Harith's release.
But calling Mr Blair "increasingly delusional" and "mendacious", the paper says that while it had condemned Guantanamo Bay, it had never claimed the detainees weren't "very bad men".
Britain is wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on a failed green energy project according to the Times.
It reports the government has given huge subsidies to power stations to burn wood pellets, which it says do more harm to the environment than the coal they replaced.
The paper says the scheme was championed by former MP Chris Huhne when he was in the coalition government, adding that he now works for an American company that supplies wood pellets. Mr Huhne has denied any conflict of interest to the paper.
Cressida Dick, the first woman to become the chief constable of the Metropolitan police, makes a number of the front pages.
The Guardian quotes a former senior Met officer who says Ms Dick "inspires confidence" and can operate in tough, predominantly male situations as well as working with senior politicians.
The Daily Telegraph calls her "the first lady of the Met" and congratulates her on the appointment but says unlike some of her predecessors she "must chase criminals, not headlines".
If you struggle to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables every day, the Guardian has bad news for you.
It says scientists are recommending 10 portions a day. A team at Imperial College London believes that eating more fruit and vegetables would prevent about 7.8 million premature deaths across the world.
And "from rags to £14m lotto riches" is the Daily Mirror's headline about Britain's newest lottery winner. Beverley Doran, who gave up work to care for her autistic children, and told the paper that she had dressed in "rags" as all her money went on her family.
Now she has moved out of her council house in West Yorkshire and is staying in a hotel while she looks for a luxury home.
But, the paper adds, Ms Doran won't be celebrating with the usual bottle of champagne, as she is allergic to it.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-39060093
|
What is a weather bomb? - BBC Weather
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Heard the term but not sure what it means? Chris Fawkes explains.
| null |
Heard the term but not sure what it means? Chris Fawkes explains.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/39054678
|
Is it still a man's world behind the camera? - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Oscars season is all about the stars, but for women behind the camera, it takes a lot more to get noticed.
|
Entertainment & Arts
|
Sara Bennett (l) won her Oscar for her work on Ex Machina (centre) and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy won for her documentary films
Oscars season is all about the stars: who said what, which gowns rocked the red carpet, and of course, who won.
But for women behind the camera, it takes a lot more to get noticed.
Female nominations for technical work are rare - blink and you can miss them. From the outside, it looks like a man's world - but is that how it feels?
Three women - two of them 2016 Oscar winners - tell us what it's really like.
Sara Bennett was the first female VFX supervisor to win an Academy Award
"I loved film growing up - I watched a lot of horror and I loved prosthetics, so my natural thought was to get into that," says Sara Bennett, who won an Oscar for her work on 2015 sci-fi drama Ex Machina.
The film brought to life the female robot Ava, played by Alicia Vikander, whose body had humanoid features but with a transparent skull, limbs and torso.
As the first female VFX supervisor to win an Oscar, Sara broke new ground at 2016's ceremony.
It was only the third time in 89 years that a woman had been nominated for visual effects.
The last winner? Suzanne Benson for Aliens - back in 1987.
Technology genius Nathan Bateman, played by Oscar Isaac, holds a robot "brain" created by Sara Bennett in Ex Machina
Sara said she had to create an "organic" look for the "brain"
Despite being such rarity, Sara says she's never felt outnumbered.
"Until last year's Oscar nomination, I'd never really thought about it being male-dominated," she says.
"The hard time for me was learning the craft and moving up, as opposed to dealing with men in my industry."
"Being a woman probably went in my favour, to be honest."
Sara, whose back catalogue includes Sherlock, The Martian and the first four Harry Potter films, says she loves the variety her work gives her.
Her passion for her work is infectious, and she says it was "amazing" winning the Oscar - she couldn't quite believe it when her name was read out.
But she also mixes it up by managing a team, mentoring young women and leading children's workshops.
Having trained in prosthetics and make-up, she became a runner during the 1990s, working as a general assistant on film sets before switching to VFX.
As a compositor, she learned how to combine several visual elements into a believable on-screen image, gaining her first credit in 1998 for Babe, Pig in the City.
Although aspiring VFX specialists can now learn through YouTube tutorials, software and courses, Sara's adamant that the best experience is found in the workplace.
"Until you're working flat out and your eyes are bleeding at four in the morning, that horrible feeling - that's when you really learn about the job," she laughs, talking about the pressures of working to tight deadlines.
Three years ago she set up London and Cardiff-based visual effects company Milk with four male colleagues, after their section in another VFX studio, The Mill, was closed down.
Sara now sees more women moving through the ranks, and says with delight: "When I was younger it was about 80/20 men to women in VFX, but now it's closer to 60/40."
But even if more women want creative positions in the film industry, they're not at the top table just yet.
Research from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film says women made up just 17% of "behind-the-scenes employment" on the top 100, 250 and 500 films of 2016.
The study, The Celluloid Ceiling, states this is a drop of two percentage points on 2015, putting the figures on a par with 1998.
These statistics, combined with this year's all-male VFX Oscar nominations, make those rare female wins look even more stark.
Fie Tholander says it is "cool to have a job where you do magic" with VFX
So when's this going to change?
Sara says it will take a while. "There's so many women doing VFX. Maybe they're not doing the big A-List films, but they're out there doing it all."
Fie Tholander, 31, has been inspired by Sara, working for her as a VFX compositor at Milk.
"I've always been drawn to magic, to fairy tale stories," she says, citing David Bowie fantasy drama Labyrinth (1986) as an inspiration.
She's single-mindedly pursued her career since she was 15 and is now creating aliens for the upcoming Doctor Who series.
She also worked on the brains in jars with eyeballs which featured in last year's Christmas special.
She worked on last year's Doctor Who Christmas episode
As a Danish high school student, she already knew she wanted to work in VFX, studying art at Animation Workshop before heading for London, with an internship at The Mill.
It was there that she met Sara, who became her mentor.
"Having Sara as a role model makes women realise they can actually do it," she says.
"VFX is portrayed as a technical thing, which isn't always the case. I'm not a technical person, I'm more creative."
Fie thinks women need to be more assertive: "I think women in general hold back, we're afraid to ask, and men are a bit more bold with their careers."
Amy Adams is the lead in the Oscar-nominated film Arrival
Has she ever hit a glass, even a celluloid, ceiling? Nope.
"Sexism isn't something I've come across. If I want something I have to ask for it - no one will give it to me."
But Fie does think the industry's progressing, with more women applying to work in her profession.
She's also convinced that the film world is changing.
"With all the movies coming out, we're getting female role models who aren't princesses, which is great."
Recent films such as Arrival have seen Amy Adams star as an expert linguist communicating with aliens, while Star Wars movie Rogue One has Felicity Jones as its lead.
But it's not just VFX and sci-fi where women are breaking through.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy started out as a print journalist before switching to documentaries
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, 37, made history last year as Pakistan's only double Oscar winner.
She won her second best documentary Oscar for A Girl in the River - The Price of Forgiveness, about honour killings in Pakistan.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oscar-winning Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy on why being a female film-maker is an asset
Her first, in 2012, was for Saving Face, about a plastic surgeon treating those scarred by acid attacks.
Starting out as a print journalist in Pakistan, Sharmeen decided aged 21 to switch to documentaries, so she could tell her stories visually.
There are hundreds of so-called "honour killings" in Pakistan each year
She pitched her first film proposal to about 80 global organisations.
"I was pretty much turned down by everyone," she says. "But I've always believed that if a door doesn't open for you, it's because you haven't knocked hard enough."
Undeterred, she asked the New York Times, who'd just set up a TV unit.
They agreed to fund her first film, about Afghan refugee children on the streets of Pakistan.
Her career went upwards from there - she's also won two Emmys (in 2010 and 2013) and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Distinction), Pakistan's second-highest civilian award.
"It amplifies your voice and the voices of all of those people you are making a film about.
"After A Girl in the River, there was legislation about honour killing installed in Parliament in Pakistan. The win at the Oscars gave it the final push it needed to get it passed."
She deliberately multi-tasks by producing and directing because "it allows me the freedom to tell the type of stories I want to tell".
"I've always said that making a film is like having a baby. You have a long period of time where something is inside of you, and when you send it out into the world, you want the world to appreciate it."
She has also won two Emmys
Well aware of the high numbers of men working in the film industry, she says she's at an advantage in her field.
"Whereas Hollywood will tell you fewer women are getting the opportunities to be directors or play key roles in film, in documentary work, women in greater numbers are coming up behind the camera, winning Academy Awards."
And for her, being a female filmmaker is an "asset".
"I've been able to get into places where a man would seldom be able to get into," she says.
"If I was a man perhaps I wouldn't be standing here today. I'm looked upon as less of a threat because I'm a woman."
Sharmeen says it is an "asset" being a female filmmaker
Sharmeen is keen to see more young women working in film, and tells them: "You always need to believe in yourself. You need to go out and kick open those doors and you should never take no for an answer. Anything is possible.
"Chase your dreams and you never know, you may find yourself up on stage telling the stories you want to tell - and getting an accolade for it."
Sara's words of advice are all about being resilient.
She adds: "If you get knocked back just get back up again - keep trying, make sure you enjoy it, put a big smile on your face - don't give up."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39040666
|
Italian village torn apart by slow-moving landslide - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
The village of Ponzano in the Abruzzo region of Italy is being torn apart by a landslide, following earthquakes in 2016.
| null |
Thirty-three homes have been evacuated and nearly 100 people left homeless by a landslide which is tearing apart the village of Ponzano in Italy.
Officials say a hill has been cut in two, and the landslide is moving at a rate of a metre a day.
The village is in the Abruzzo region, which was hit by a string of earthquakes in 2016.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39060062
|
Lewis Hamilton believes new Formula 1 cars will be a 'massive challenge' - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton says he believes the new faster Formula 1 cars this year will be a "massive challenge".
| null |
Lewis Hamilton says he believes the new faster Formula 1 cars this year will be a "massive challenge".
The Mercedes driver said he had trained hard but had no idea whether he was fit enough for cars which could be four seconds a lap faster than 2016.
"I don't know if I'll be easily fit enough, or will struggle a bit or be super-underneath and need to work harder," the 32-year-old said.
While confident, he said he did not know if Mercedes would remain in front.
The three-time world champion, in an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 5 live, added that he:
• None was over losing the title to team-mate Nico Rosberg last year
• None looked forward to the challenge of his
• None was concerned some aspects of the new rules might not work
• None believed Red Bull's form was the one to watch before the start of pre-season testing
• None hoped new F1 owners Liberty Media would implement changes to make the sport more exciting
Listen - 'I'm very happy to have Lewis as my team-mate'
Hamilton lost the world title last year at least partly because he had worse reliability than Rosberg.
But asked how much that hurt, he said: "Nowhere near as much as you think. It doesn't change my life. You just move onwards and hopefully upwards."
Hamilton said it would be "strange" not having Rosberg in the team following the German's decision to retire last season but added: "I have rivalry with everyone so it doesn't really matter who it is against."
Of his new Finnish team-mate, who joins from Williams, Hamilton said: "I have known him a little bit from being at the track and he seems a really nice, pleasant guy and I look forward to working with him and racing against him. I always welcome challenges and competition."
Botta, 27, added: "I've always wanted to be partnering a team-mate who is very good and Lewis obviously is.
"At the same time for me it's also a big challenge. I'm still much less experienced than him but I almost see that is a positive thing and a good thing.
"I'm just very happy to see Lewis as my team-mate and I see no reason why we couldn't be a good pair of team mates and race hard on track."
New rules could make it 'harder to overtake'
F1 has introduced new rules this year that have changed the look of the cars and made them much faster.
Swept back front wings, lower and wider rear wings, bigger tyres and a larger floor area should add up to at least a 30% increase in downforce and vastly faster cornering speeds and forces.
In addition, Pirelli has been told to produce tyres on which drivers can push hard throughout a grand prix, rather than having to nurse them by driving a second or more off the pace to prevent them overheating.
But Hamilton said he had concerns about whether the new rules would improve F1.
"My engineers say it's going to be a lot harder to overtake," Hamilton said. "If we see overtaking is worse, it's going to be worse for the fans, the spectacle will be worse so I'm hoping that's not the case.
"For example, I heard tyres might not be as grippy as we'd hoped but the aero downforce is going to be huge because it's a bigger, wider car so there's going to be more downforce, so the car behind will be affected even more than it ever was before.
"And I've heard the engineers said this would potentially happen and there is an alternative route but this is the route that's chosen.
"So we are where we are and I really hope that the engineers, who are the smartest guys, are wrong and I hope that the spectacle is greater and the most competitive that it's ever been and if it is, then I look forward to being part of that."
'I hope we'll be fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari'
Hamilton said expecting Mercedes to dominate this year in the manner of the past three seasons was "just jumping to the easy conclusion".
He added: "It's a completely new slate. It might be Ferrari at the front, it might be Red Bull, we have no idea.
"I think the big unknown is Red Bull, I think they always create an amazing car and this is a new area of downforce and they're amazing at creating downforce so I think it'll be really interesting to see what they pull out and I'm hoping it'll be a real mixture of competition.
"I hope it'll be close so we'll be fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari. That's what the fans want to see."
F1 'has a lot of catching up to do'
US group Liberty Media completed its takeover of F1's commercial arm last month, removed Bernie Ecclestone as chief executive, and is formulating plans for the future.
Hamilton said: "I'm excited for the new owners who have come in and I hope they do something new and I really think they're going to bring new blood, new ideas, new ways of engaging the fans in a new and unique way.
"F1 is a bit outdated in the sense that if you look at other sports they're further ahead in the entertainment factor but F1 is catching up and I think there's a lot of catching up to do."
He said he believed Liberty should ask the fans for their opinions.
"The first step would be to see what the fans feel they're lacking, what they feel they would want more of," he said. "I think you'd get a good balance of opinions of people who have been to a grand prix. You'd get a lot of opinions but, a bit like our government, it might go the wrong way."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39054748
|
London's inner city riding school - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
An unlikely stables in the heart of Brixton teaching more than just riding skills.
|
In Pictures
|
Walking behind the tall, concrete tower blocks of Brixton's Loughborough Estate there's an unlikely sight. Against a backdrop of railway arches, young people trot around the floodlit manege of the Ebony Horse Club, an organisation founded in 2006 to teach equestrian skills to local children.
In this inner city neighbourhood, some children battle with a plethora of problems at both home and school, leading to truancy, high rates of teenage pregnancy, self harm and homelessness.
These issues are epitomised by the murder of Nathan Foster - a member of the club - who was shot in gang-related activity just a year after it was founded.
The organisation intends to be a safe haven away from these problems, mentoring children through a mix of sessions with youth workers, as well as helping them get into colleges and employment using their newfound equestrian skills.
One member who benefited in this way is Natasha, who is now studying equine performance and business management at Writtle College, a partner of the University of Essex.
She first came to the club when her confidence was at a low ebb.
"If Ebony wasn't there for me, then I certainly wouldn't be in halls at university," said Natasha.
"I don't know if I would have ever gone through any sort of higher education, since I didn't believe I had the confidence to study away from home."
As well as building confidence and teaching a practical skill, working with the horses teaches the children responsibility as, in addition to riding them, they must groom and care for the steeds.
Linda Hinds, the operations manager of the stables, also believes that due to the size of the horses, the children are made to think about their actions, giving many of them their first positive contact with an animal.
Nahshon is one of Ebony's oldest members, having started to ride at the age of nine.
Having overcome a lot, he now works at Trent Park Equestrian Centre in North London.
"Learning to ride kept me out of trouble, and being at Ebony definitely helped me become a better and more independent person," he said.
"I was encouraged to step up and take control of my life.
"Without it, my life would be very different, and I would probably would have been in prison.
"In the future, I always want to be around horses."
With membership numbers having grown from five to 79 over the past decade, about 140 young people now visit the centre every week.
The waiting list is more than a year long, but priority is given to children from the immediate area, alongside referrals from social services and doctors, such as one young man with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Lynden, 14, who has been riding for the past five years, said: "Ebony Horse Club pushes me to be more, and gives me time and space to let go of what's happening in the outside world."
All photographs taken by Sophie Wedgwood.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-38333098
|
'Red alert' as Chile wildfires blaze - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Dozens of houses and almost 3,500 hectares of forest are destroyed by fires which continue to burn in Chile.
| null |
Dozens of houses and almost 3,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed by fires which continue to burn in Chile.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-39056230
|
Why is Nigeria's President Buhari still in London? - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Rumours are rife about the state of Muhammadu Buhari's health - and about his grip on power.
|
Africa
|
Rumours are rife about Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's health - and grip on power
As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was beginning his latest visit to London more than a month ago, a new series of Big Brother Nigeria was getting under way.
A former military ruler known for his no-nonsense style would appear to have little in common with a reality TV show where contestants engage in attention-seeking behaviour.
But both subjects were soon generating headlines for the same reason - neither of them were in Nigeria.
It turned out that Big Brother was actually being filmed in South Africa - a decision that led Nigeria's information minister to launch an investigation.
While the howls of protests from outraged Big Brother fans soon died down, the clamour over Nigeria's leader's extended medical stay in London is not going away.
President Buhari's absence comes as Africa's most populous nation is gripped by its worst economic crisis in decades, and faces the threat of famine in north-east Nigeria, which has been devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency.
And unlike Big Brother, there are no constant updates - in fact, President Buhari, 74, has not given a single interview since arriving in the UK.
Instead, the Nigerian public is relying on pictures - posted on Twitter - of their leader meeting senior UK officials as proof that he still is alive.
The latest statement issued by the government said there was "no cause for worry" about the president's health but his medical leave was being extended.
Nigerians have now heard their leader's voice for the first time since he left for the UK after a telephone conversation with the governor of the northern state of Kano was played out loud at a prayer meeting.
His month-long stay so far has angered some Nigerians after he promised to crack down on "medical tourism" by officials.
Last June, President Buhari spent nearly two weeks in London receiving treatment for an ear infection.
But the bigger issue this time is that officials have repeatedly refused to disclose his illness and are not saying when he will return to Nigeria.
In a country where rumours are rife, the presidential statements have done little to dampen the speculation about the leader's health.
Nigerians are acutely sensitive to leaders travelling abroad for medical reasons after President Umaru Yar'Adua died while in office in 2010.
For months, the public was kept in the dark while he received treatment in Saudi Arabia.
The period of uncertainty created deep political instability in the country.
The current president's supporters say that is emphatically not the case this time.
They point to the fact that President Buhari constitutionally handed over power to his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, as he has done on previous trips, rather than governing from afar.
He did take one phone call while in London, however, from the US President Donald Trump - the first between the two leaders.
"There is no vacuum at the top," says political analyst Jibrin Ibrahim.
"President Buhari takes his constitutional role seriously, and has not personalised power, unlike other African leaders.
"My chief criticism is that his government has been acting like it has all the time in the world, when in fact urgent decisions needed to be made in regard to the economy."
But, perhaps, one of the most striking things about President Buhari's absence has been the go-getting style of the acting leader.
President Buhari has formally handed over his power to vice-president Yemi Osinbajo
Yemi Osinbajo is preparing to launch an economic recovery plan.
He also led a high-profile delegation to the Niger Delta to voice support for a government agreement with local militants groups that have seriously disrupted the region's oil production.
But critics say that despite all his activity, the vice-president has no real authority.
"He cannot perform because ministers and other political appointments are not obliged to be loyal to him as he didn't appoint them," said Isuwa Dogo, a political analyst, and a member of the opposition party.
"President Buhari is a public figure and there is no need for him to hide behind his health issues.
"I want him to be back in the county. If there are successes, he will get the credit. If there are failures, he will get the blame."
So, while Big Brother fans will know in April who has been crowned the series winner, for now, no-one seems to know when Nigeria's president will come back home.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39055263
|
Great British Bake Off's Nadiya Hussain given food show - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
The Great British Bake Off winner will be travelling around Britain in search of innovative cooking.
|
UK
|
Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain is to host her own cookery show
Hussain, who won Bake Off in 2015, will feature in the eight-part series for BBC Two, which will seek out great examples of British food.
Her show - Nadiya's British Food Adventure - will see her undertake a road trip around Britain, visiting a different region in each episode.
Hussain explored her culinary roots in Bangladesh in a two-part television series last year.
She is due to travel across the country, from the Scottish Highlands to Devon and Dorset, to highlight some of Britain's most innovative cooking.
Hussain said: "Our country's regional cuisine is much more than tried and tested traditional dishes - there are quirky and clever food producers out there who are reinventing British food in unique and exciting ways.
"I can't wait to meet these local food heroes, to find inspiration in the most unusual food stories and unlikely ingredients and then come up with some brand new recipes in the kitchen, adding my own special twist."
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39059610
|
Six Nations 2017: Johnny Sexton back in Ireland team to face France - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Fit-again Johnny Sexton is named in the Ireland team to face France in Saturday's Six Nations game in Dublin.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Irish Rugby
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app, plus live text commentary
Fit-again Johnny Sexton has been named in the Ireland team to face France in Saturday's Six Nations match in Dublin.
The Leinster fly-half, who has overcome a calf strain, is preferred to Paddy Jackson, who started the defeat by Scotland and the victory over Italy.
Captain Rory Best returns at hooker after missing the game in Rome through illness, while Jack McGrath comes in for Cian Healy at loose-head prop.
Rob Kearney is fit to play at full-back after recovering from a biceps problem.
• None France make three changes for Ireland
Both Sexton and Kearney came through a full week of training at the squad's Carton House base in County Kildare unscathed.
Sexton, 31, has been out of action since sustaining his injury during Leinster's Champions Cup draw with Castres on 20 January.
Jackson deputised impressively for Sexton at Murrayfield and in Rome, but must settle for a place on the bench on this occasion.
Ireland in the 2017 Six Nations
"It was a call like any other, we debated it and we do believe we get a good balance with having both players available," said Schmidt of the selection call on starting Sexton ahead of Jackson.
"It's very hard to come into a side and come off the bench when you haven't played. So starting the match has allowed Johnny a bit more training time with the team this week.
"It's a balance, and I think on Saturday based on how things have gone in the past we'll probably see both players in some positions in some stage of the game.
"Johnny's done a lot of conditioning in the period of his injury, and fitness is never really an issue for Johnny, it's just making sure he's fully fit.
"And he is. He trained well today and fully on Tuesday. He's highly motivated to get into the game on Saturday."
Conor Murray has recovered from a hip issue to take his place in the starting line-up, with Munster's Niall Scannell dropping to the bench in light of the return of Best to the number two shirt.
With Josh van der Flier ruled out of the remainder of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury, flanker Peter O'Mahony is named among the replacements on his return after a hamstring complaint.
Coach Joe Schmidt has recalled McGrath in the front row in place of his Leinster provincial team-mate Healy, who started against the Italians.
Ulster winger Andrew Trimble and forward Iain Henderson comes onto the bench after their return to fitness.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39067822
|
Brexit: Barclays 'committed to London' - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Barclays is making plans in case the UK loses access to the EU single market after Brexit, but is committed to London, chief executive Jes Staley says.
| null |
Barclays will keep the bulk of its operations in London after Brexit, even if the UK loses access to the single market, chief executive Jes Staley says.
The bank is making Brexit plans including expanding operations in Ireland and Germany, he tells BBC business editor Simon Jack.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39062975
|
Britain's Amir Khan in negotiations with Manny Pacquiao - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Britain's Amir Khan says he is in talks with Manny Pacquiao to be the WBO world welterweight champion's next title challenger
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Britain's Amir Khan is in talks with Manny Pacquiao to be the WBO world welterweight champion's next title challenger, both boxers have said.
Pacquiao's Twitter followers recently voted Khan, 30, as the opponent they would like to see him fight next.
Khan beat fellow Briton Kell Brook, Australia's Jeff Horn and American Terence Crawford with 48% of the vote.
He said on Twitter: "Currently negotiating with Manny #teampacquiao. Coming soon. Watch this space!"
Six-weight world champion Pacquaio, who said his next fight will be in the United Arab Emirates, added: "My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcement coming soon."
The 38-year-old Filipino retired in April, but returned to claim the belt by beating Jessie Vargas in November.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/39061684
|
Senator Grassley confronted by Afghanistan interpreter seeking asylum - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley faced tough questions from his constituents at a town hall meeting.
| null |
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley faced tough questions from his constituents at a town hall meeting.
Among them was a man who worked as an interpreter for the US Armed Forces in Afghanistan who is struggling to secure asylum.
Zalmay Niazy asked for the senator's help as a new White House travel ban looms.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39060473
|
Lizzy Yarnold targets world skeleton medal after 'disappointing' comeback - BBC Sport
|
2017-02-23
| null |
Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold says she is "fired up" for the World Championships after a "disappointing" return.
| null |
Last updated on .From the section Winter Sports
Coverage: Live coverage on Connected TV, BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website
Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold says she is "fired up" for the World Championships after a "disappointing" return to the sport.
After completing a career grand slam in 2015, Yarnold took a year's sabbatical citing exhaustion, before returning to action late last year.
She claimed silver in her second race back, but after struggling with a back injury came 11th in her last race.
"Results this season haven't been as good as they should've been," she said.
"There have obviously been issues and there are concerns, but I have always enjoyed failure, getting things wrong and being disappointed because that's what fires me up for the next competition."
The World Championships are taking place in Konigssee, Germany.
The first two of four runs for the female skeleton sliders begin at 14:00 GMT and 16:00 GMT on Friday, with the second two on Saturday (from 07:30 GMT and 09:30 GMT).
Since returning to the sport, Yarnold has suffered a recurrence of the dizzy spells which she first experienced in the season following the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, and developed a back condition which at one stage left her struggling to walk.
The 28-year-old insists she is learning to combat the problems and is happy with the improvements she is making with less than a year to go until the 2018 Games.
"It sounds weird to say, but I think I'm definitely a better athlete than I was leading up to Sochi," she told BBC Sport.
"This season has actually been very successful as I'm learning and building the foundations which are going to be fundamental to the Olympics.
"Trying to be the first British Winter Olympian to defend my title is a huge juicy goal that gets me out of bed every day."
The 2015 world champion is part of a six-strong British skeleton team competing at this year's Worlds.
The event was originally due to take place in Sochi before the sport's international governing body, IBSF, stripped Russia of the hosting rights following the publication of the second McLaren report.
Prior to the decision, Yarnold stated she would consider boycotting the event and told BBC Sport she was "pleased" a "strong stance" had been taken.
The slider is now hoping to recapture her form on a track she traditionally enjoys competing on.
"I would love to get a world medal," said Yarnold. "I'm going into the race to win but it's a year out [from the Olympics] still so, as long as I'm learning getting better I'll be pleased with my performance."
Yarnold is joined by Laura Deas and Donna Creighton in the women's squad, with Dom Parsons, Jack Thomas and Jerry Rice making up the men's line-up.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/39065575
|
The town halls trying to tackle Trump's agenda - BBC News
|
2017-02-23
|
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
|
Republican politicians are returning to their home districts to face a barrage of criticism
|
US & Canada
|
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Republican politicians are returning to their home districts to a barrage of criticism, as many constituents demand to know how they'll hold President Trump to account.
There's never a good time to talk politics, but democracy starts early in the state of Iowa.
By 7:30 am, as the morning fog was still lifting and the sun was starting to appear, the meeting room in the Iowa Falls Fire department was already at full capacity.
A few hundred people had travelled from across the state to attend a town hall meeting, filling every chair and corner, and spilling into the hallway.
Town halls are traditionally a forum for constituents to discuss their concerns with elected officials, face to face.
But in the Trump era, they've taken on a new purpose - with many aggrieved voters seeing them as a way to put pressure on President Trump, by ensuring their members of Congress hold him to account.
Republican officials across the country have found themselves on the receiving end of questions and demands from voters.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Many, but not all, of those attending are Democrats, some from progressive groups who are organising around these events to ensure people show up.
But others are simply frustrated residents, who want their voices heard. All are represented by Senator Chuck Grassley.
The vast majority of the crowd at the fire station was older, in their fifties or above. Some of them came with handwritten protest signs, others clutched pieces of paper with their questions written on them.
"I'm new at this," a woman named Ingrid told me. She said Trump's victory made her angry.
"I felt I had to come. I'm hoping our voices get larger and that we can make sure Republicans don't just vote along party lines and listen to their constituents."
And listen is exactly what Senator Grassley did, even if some felt he didn't quite answer all of their concerns.
As the seven-term senator entered the room, he began by asking the group which topics they'd like to cover.
As hands flew in the air, and people jostled for his attention, a range of topics were raised - everything from Russia to guns, healthcare to education.
Senator Grassley wrote the questions down in a small notebook, promising to answer them in the order they were asked.
A large majority of questions were about President Obama's healthcare law - the Affordable Care Act.
The questions on this were impassioned, as people talked of their personal experiences of Obamacare, and their fears they could lose coverage under a Trump presidency.
One elderly man attended on behalf of a friend whose son was seriously ill. He told the senator of how "his parents will probably have to face bankruptcy just as they face retirement".
Other testimonies reflected the extent people here rely on government subsidised health insurance.
"I'm on Obamacare, if it wasn't for Obamacare we wouldn't be able to afford insurance," said Chris Petersen, an insulin dependent diabetic who runs a farm more than an hour away.
"I got a present for you," he told the senator, as he held up a box of Tums, a medicine used to relieve heartburn, "you're going to need them in the next few years."
When a bespectacled man in a grey sweater asked a question about the national debt, things got testy.
"Raise Trump's taxes," yelled a man at the back of the room.
"Everything is going to a pittance," shouted a woman.
As she did the questioner got angry.
"I asked him, not you, so shut your hole," he said, as he jabbed his finger in her direction.
At other times the mood in the room was calmer.
When Zalmay Naizy, an Afghan who'd been an interpreter for the US army, asked a question, the room fell near silent.
"I'm a Muslim in this country, who's going to save me here?
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Senator Grassley is one of many Republicans facing angry questions at town hall meetings
"I've been shot two times, I've been roadside bombed once, nobody cares about me. But I was with the US."
The room erupted in cheers, and while the senator didn't address his question right away, choosing to move onto another question about trade deals, he returned to it later, promising to help Zalmay, as he stood by his side.
This town hall was held in a county which voted for Donald Trump by a large margin.
Senator Grassley prides himself on holding meetings in every county in the state every year through his "99 county" pledge, but not all are town halls. He's faced criticism for holding most of those in solidly Republican areas.
The event at the fire station was one of two on the same day. Later, in the basement of the Hancock County Sheriff's jail, another crowd gathered.
Once again many were waiting outside as the room was at capacity. The mood was tense.
"I want impeachment," shouted one man from the back.
"Why are you against government healthcare, but take it yourself?" asked another.
Obamacare dominated the agenda here too, with more personal stories.
There was the mother, a former Republican voter, who was concerned about losing healthcare for her son who has disabilities. The veteran worried about treatment of the military.
And Jamet, an immigrant from Chile, told the senator "we're already making this country great" and asked "How will you stand up for immigrants?"
"We need people to stand up for the ordinary working person," said Chris Petersen, the farmer with the Tums, who I'd met at the first town hall.
His sentiment is not that different to the views of Donald Trump supporters, who told me during the campaign time and time again, that politicians don't represent them.
Some who voted for him were at Senator Grassley's town halls, in a show of solidarity. Jim Carson accused Democrats at the events of "trying to obstruct the good policies of Mr Trump."
When I asked Senator Grassley if the anger expressed at the town halls would mean he was more likely to confront the president over his agenda, he told me the focus for him was taking these concerns back to his colleagues on capitol hill.
"I don't think you should see it as challenging Trump I think you should see it as Congress doing its job and the president doing his job."
It was a popular grassroots movement that helped sow the seeds of a Trump presidency, now another is trying to challenge it.
For some voters, the only way to get to President Trump is by applying pressure on congress. Senators like Chuck Grassley have to balance their support for the Republican agenda, with the grievances of the voters who keep them in office.
Even a small number of people attending town halls can be enough to keep elected officials on edge.
These scenes we are seeing at these meetings across America are reminiscent of the early days of the Obama administration, when conservatives attended packed town halls to lobby their congressional representatives on healthcare, in what became known as the Tea Party movement.
"America is starting to boil," Chris Petersen told me as I met him afterwards at his farm.
As liberals try to exert pressure on their senators and representatives, it's clear that a new progressive movement is brewing.
|
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39045707
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.